Moving On From His Death
by kath0410
Summary: A month has passed since Jellal Fernandes died in the Tower of Heaven Incident in order to save Team Natsu. Will Erza Scarlet ever move on from his death and her feelings for him, and learn to love Zeke, her childhood friend who has loved and protected her ever since they were kids? ErzaxOC
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello, dear Fairy Tail and Anime fans alike! This is my first story and I decided to make an ErzaxOC FanFic because the idea kept on nagging at me for quite a while. And I'm sorry if some characters act OOC in my story, especially Erza. Anyway, I hope you enjoy and please feel free to do a review.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does. The only things I own are what you don't see in the Manga and Anime.**

* * *

A month has passed since Jellal died, and Erza still isn't ready to accept the fact that he's gone. Even though he died right in front of her very eyes. For that whole month, she didn't feel like going on jobs. She wasn't even in the mood to stop Gray and Natsu whenever they fought, and she had never even touched a slice of her favorite strawberry cake. She kept on thinking about Jellal's death. It was hard on her, knowing that the first man she loved was gone. Forever. Though it may be true that all she went through was pain and suffering because of him, she could never bring herself to truly hate him. Especially since he died for her sake. Her thoughts ran back to the time when Jellal was dying.

_FLASHBACK_

"_Erza…" Jellal muttered, coughing up blood._

"_Jellal!" she shouted, tears streaming down her face._

_He placed his hands gently on her face, staring deeply into her eyes. The scarlet-haired mage held his hand, and continued to sob._

"_Jellal, why…?" She sobbed._

"_Erza, don't be sad… It was the best I could do. I want you to live, even if it means that I have to die right now. I wanted to protect you - to end all the suffering I caused you and your friends," he continued slowly._

"_I love you, Erza Scarlet… I know I don't deserve your love. But I at least wanted to tell you how I feel, before I die. Find someone who would protect you and make you happy, no matter what it takes, someone who will never hurt you and will love you continually. You don't have to forgive me. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness. Live on, Erza Scarlet, and find true happiness…" He trailed off, and finally closed his eyes._

"_JELLAL! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" She screamed into the night, the tears streaming endlessly down her face._

_FLASHBACK END _

She leaned her head against the big tree, trying to control her tears. She never felt so much pain in her life, until now.

* * *

It was nearly sunset, and Zeke had just arrived at the town of Magnolia after his job. Zeke Bolton was one of Erza Scarlet's childhood friends when they were abducted and sent to the Tower of Heaven as slaves. After they escaped, they searched for Fairy Tail and joined together.

Like her, he was an S-Class mage and specializes in lightning element magic, which can paralyze and damage his foes. He also learned to use Teleportation Magic, which allows him to teleport to nearby places and to anyone with the Fairy Tail guild mark. Thus, he gained the nickname "Lightning," symbolizing his speed and how he can defeat his enemies in a flash. He has black spiky hair that was messy. He has dark brown eyes, a normal skin color and a face considered by many to be handsome; he is of average height and has a lean build. He usually wore a white v-neck t-shirt with a blue jacket, black pants and black shoes with streaks of yellow; and has a yellow Fairy Tail guild mark placed on the lower part of his right arm.

He wandered around for a bit, and found a certain scarlet-haired mage sitting alone by the huge tree. Upon seeing her, he remembered the conversation he had with the master a few weeks back, about five days after the Tower of Heaven incident – the incident where Jellal Fernandes died.

_FLASHBACK_

"_Master? Mira said you asked for me," Zeke asked_

"_Ah, yes my boy," Master Makarov responded, patting a seat beside him. "I wanted to speak with you," the master added._

_Zeke took his seat beside the master and asked, "What did you want to talk to me about, master?"_

"_I wanted to talk to you about Erza - about the Tower of Heaven incident. I want to know everything that happened," the master replied._

_Zeke then proceeded to explain everything that happened regarding the incident._

"_In the end, Jellal Fernandes saved us all by using magic that stopped Etherion from exploding. Although… it cost him his life," he concluded._

"_And is that the reason Erza is acting strangely these past days?" The master asked_

_The black-haired mage nodded._

_The master bowed his head, deep in thought. Finally, he said, "Zeke, my boy, I want you to bring the old Erza back. You are the only one who can ease her pain. And it's not only because you've been with her far longer than we have…" The master trailed off._

"…_It's also because of how you feel about her," The master added, looking at the younger mage and waiting for his response._

"_Master, how did you know… about my feelings for Erza?" Zeke asked, shocked._

"_I see it in your actions, my dear boy, and in the way you look at her. There was never a day that you stopped worrying about her since that incident. And the way you look at her… you look at her with such gentleness, always ready to protect her," the master said seriously._

_The master then added, "And that is why you are the one I entrust this task with. Because of your deep love for her."_

_The young mage knew that everything the master said was true. He _did _love her deeply, and is prepared to do anything for her._

"_I understand, master. I promise, I will bring her back to the way she was," he swore._

"_Very good," the master nodded in agreement. The master then waved his hand towards the door, "You may leave."_

_FLASHBACK END_

"Erza?" He called out.

"Zeke? What are you doing here?" She asked with surprise.

"I just got back from a job and ended up wandering around the town," he replied casually.

"Oh, I see," she replied.

"So, what's up? What are you doing here alone?" He asked curiously.

"Nothing, just thinking about a few things," she stared into empty space.

"Oh, huh." He said.

After a few minutes of silence, Zeke decided to break it.

"It's about Jellal, isn't it?" He spoke softly.

The question caught Erza off guard. "How did you know?" She asked with a puzzled look on her face.

"C'mon Erza, we've known each other since we were kids. And I know how you feel about Jellal," he said.

He continued. "Well, I noticed that you've always been lost in thought – even crying sometimes, ever since he died. And this is another of those times that I've caught you. I just kind of figured out that it was him you were thinking about." He scratched his head, and then looked at her.

"Nothing really does get by you, huh?" She smiled slightly. "You're right, though…" She trailed off.

"Do you want to talk about it? I mean, only if you want to. I'm not gonna bug you into telling me right now. As a friend, I just want to be there for you," he said seriously. _Although, I wish we were more than just friends. _He thought sadly.

She sighed, thinking about whether to tell him or not. She _did _need to get it off her chest though, and he was one of her closest friends anyway.

"No, it's fine. Besides, there's no harm in telling you anyway," She smiled and told him about what happened with Jellal during his last moments.

After finishing her story, she began to sob. She had been holding it in, but was unable to control it.

"Erza… I'm sorry. I know you loved him…" Zeke trailed off, placing his hands on her face as he wiped her tears. _I just wish you could love me, the way you loved him. I would never hurt you, Erza. I would make you happy, no matter what it takes. _He thought.

"No, it's alright… I wanted to get it off my chest, anyway. Thank you for listening, Zeke," she said gratefully.

"Hey, no problem. I mean, we're friends right? Just remember Erza; I'll always be there for you, no matter what happens. I promise," he said solemnly.

"I know you will," she smiled.

He removed his hands from her face and breathed a sigh of relief when she smiled again. He _hated _seeing her cry, but he hated the one who caused her to cry even more. Had Jellal still been alive, he would have beaten the crap out of him to send a message.

"Zeke?"

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Can you… stay with me a bit longer? I don't think I could bear to be alone right now…"

"Sure. I don't have anything better to do anyway."

"Thanks. It means a lot, having you with me," she smiled and leaned her head against him.

"Oh, uh, sure," he blushed slightly.

* * *

They stayed still like that for quite some time. It was getting dark, and Zeke decided it was about time to go home.

"Erza?" He shifted slightly and looked at her. Apparently, she had fallen asleep. "_Man, she still looks really beautiful, even when she's asleep," _he thought_. _Not wanting to disturb her, he decided to carry her all the way to her room at Fairy Hills. He put the sleeping scarlet-haired mage on his back and started moving. A few people stared at him as he walked by, but he didn't care. He continued walking, and finally arrived at Fairy Hills, an all-girls dormitory and where the girl on his back lives.

"Oh, Zeke?" A voice asked.

"Mira? Is that you?" He asked in reply.

"Yup, it's me," the white-haired mage giggled. "What's Erza doing on your back?" She asked while pointing to Erza.

"Oh, well, I found her sitting alone by the huge tree and we talked a bit. She fell asleep soon afterwards," he explained.

"Is that so?" Mira smiled devilishly.

"Yeah, that's all," he said, not seeing the smile that the white-haired mage gave.

"By the way, do you know where Erza's room is? I just wanted to drop her off in her room," he said.

"Sure, just follow me," Mira replied.

Zeke followed the white-haired mage, and they finally arrived in front of the scarlet-haired mage's room. "Well, here we are. Let me just open the door for you," Mira said while opening the door.

"Thanks Mira. And do you have a pen and paper on you, by chance? I just wanted to write a note," he explained.

"No, but I'll get them for you. Can you wait for a while?" She smiled sweetly.

"Sure, no problem," he smiled back.

When the, he entered the room and lay the Re-quip mage down on her bed. He looked at her as she slept peacefully, and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "_Erza, I love you… I wish you could feel the same about me one of these days. I'm willing to wait, no matter how long it takes. I will always love you, Erza Scarlet…" _His thoughts were interrupted as Mira spoke behind him.

"Zeke, here's the pen and paper," she smiled as she handed the two items to him.

"Thanks, Mira. I'll return the pen as soon as I'm done," he said.

"Oh, no, it's fine. You can return the pen tomorrow," she said sweetly.

"Thanks again, and sorry for the trouble," he said apologetically.

"No, it's no trouble. Well, I'll be going now. Just make sure to lock up before you leave," the take-over mage reminded him and left.

He thought about what he was going to write; after a few minutes, he finished writing and placed the note on the bedside table. He turned back towards the peacefully sleeping requip mage, kissed her forehead and whispered, "Good night, Erza." Then he left.

* * *

**A/N: And here's the end of the first chapter. I do hope you enjoyed it. Again, please feel free to do a review. See you guys in the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello again, guys! Here's Chapter 2! Pretty quick? Well, it's my summer vacation so I decided to work on this. So, yeah. I hope you guys enjoy reading this! And, please leave a review. Thank you! Well, on to the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.**

* * *

It was morning, and Erza had woken up. Apparently, she couldn't remember everything that happened last night. But she did remember feeling someone's lips press against her forehead while she was asleep. _Could it be Zeke? _She couldn't explain why, but she blushed slightly at the thought. She stood up and noticed a piece of paper on her bedside table.

"Hmm? What could this be?" She seemed puzzled, and read it.

_Erza,_

_Well, you fell asleep when we were sitting by the huge tree. I didn't want to wake you up, so I just carried you all the way back here to your room. It was no problem though, so don't worry about it. I hope you had a good night's sleep. _

_P.S. I'll always be here for you, alright? And I hope your back to your usual self once your back at the guild. Everyone's been worried about you, especially me._

_~Zeke_

After reading the note, she finally remembered what happened. She did remember closing her eyes after leaning her head on Zeke, but had no idea that she had already fallen asleep. She touched her forehead, wondering if the kiss was real. A part of her really wished it were real. _Snap out of it, Erza! He just thinks of you as a friend! _She thought. But she was beginning to doubt that. She was curious about the last line of the note, the _especially me _part. She wondered what that meant. Did Zeke like her? But a voice inside her head shouted, _Of course he's especially worried about you! You've been friends since forever! _She managed to convince herself that that was it. Although, she couldn't help but blush while thinking about the forehead-kissing-scene. She then decided to take a shower.

* * *

After taking a shower, she re-quipped into her everyday outfit, which was the usual silver armor and blue skirt designed by Heart Kreuz. She then headed to the guild. When she arrived at the guild, she caught Natsu and Gray fighting. Again. She sighed, and released the demonic aura she usually had around her when the two were fighting.

"Oy! Gray! Natsu!" She spoke with sheer terror.

"A-aye sir! We've stopped fighting now, see?" The pink-haired and blue-haired mages said with fear.

"That's good. Get along now, okay?" She smiled dangerously.

"Aye sir!" The two mages replied.

"Aaaaand Happy #2 is back," Lucy giggled.

"I'm glad you're back to normal, Erza," a voice came from the guild's entrance.

"Zeke!" Erza exclaimed happily.

"Yo!" He grinned at the re-quip mage.

Then he looked at the counter and spotted Mira. "Hey, Mira! Here's your pen. Thanks again for letting me borrow it!" He smiled gratefully.

"Sure, anytime!" The take-over mage smiled back.

Erza then sat at a table and beckoned for Zeke to come over. The black-haired mage noticed this and went over to the scarlet-haired mage's table.

"Hey there! Good morning!" He greeted her.

"I just wanted to thank you about last night, and I wanted to say sorry for falling asleep and causing you the trouble of bringing me to my room," the re-quip mage apologized.

"Like I said in the note, it's no big deal. You don't need to worry about it. Besides, it was the least I could do," he smiled.

"I also wanted to thank you for spending time with me yesterday and for listening to me," she smiled back.

"No problem, I'll always be willing to listen to you," he grinned.

She chuckled and smiled at him. She didn't know why, but she always felt at ease with him. She always felt that way ever since they were kids. No one had ever given her that sense of ease, not even Jellal.

Suddenly, a chair hit the back of the scarlet-haired mage's head. A terrifying dark aura surrounded her. She stood up and glared at the people inside the guild. She shouted, "Now! WHO THE HELL DID THAT!?"

The guild fell into a deathly silence, and the black-haired mage sitting across her felt cold shivers down his spine. Then the whole guild shouted, "THE SCARLET-HAIRED DEMON IS BACK!"

"Who are you guys calling a demon? HUH!?" The re-quip mage shouted in fury. The mages in the guild could do nothing but cower in fear. Breaking the tension in the atmosphere, Natsu shouted a war cry and a fight suddenly broke out in the guild, like always. Somehow, this managed to cool Erza's head down and she could do nothing but laugh. Zeke stood up and joined the fight. "C'mon, Erza! Join in!" Zeke beckoned her to join in.

"Of course, and I'll give it my all!" The Titania smirked.

* * *

After the fight between the members of the guild, Erza opened her eyes, realizing she had fallen asleep. She looked around the guild, and found that all the mages had fallen asleep as well. She turned to her right, and found Zeke asleep also. He looked so peaceful and had a smile on his face. She suddenly had this urge to kiss him, but stopped herself

Zeke then shifted slightly, making Erza blush and look away. He then opened his eyes, and yawned as he stretched. "Oh, hey, Erza," he muttered sleepily.

"H-hi, Zeke," she swallowed nervously.

The just awoken mage didn't seem to notice the nervous tone the scarlet-haired mage used. "Looks like everyone in the guild fell asleep, like usual." He said as he looked around the guild.

The scarlet-haired mage laughed, "Yeah, it seems like we're always like this after a guild brawl."

"Yeah, but that's what I love about this guild," he nodded in agreement.

She smiled, "It's impossible to stay annoyed with them for a long time."

Then the black-haired mage asked, "Why don't we go on a job? It's been a whole month since you've been to any."

_J-just the two of us? _She thought nervously. Come to think of it, they hadn't been on a job together for so long since Team Natsu was formed. "Sure, why not?" She replied nonchalantly.

"Alright, why don't we get something that isn't too tough? Since you might still not be up to going on an S-Class one?" He asked with concern.

"I'm fine, really. But you're right, maybe we should go on a normal job first," the Titania agreed. The lightning mage nodded and proceeded to the request board to find a job.

_He really cares about his friends. I guess that's why he fits perfectly in Fairy Tail… _She thought as she smiled to herself. She continued to stare at him as he stood in front of the request board, and she thought about her feelings for him. Maybe she really _did _love him.

felt her cheeks flush slightly, remembering the kiss he gave on her forehead. She wanted to ask him if he really did kiss her, but she didn't want to make things awkward between them, especially since only the two of them are going on a job.

After a few more minutes, Zeke finally picked a job and headed towards where the Re-quip mage was sitting. Seeing the black-haired mage walk towards her, she quickly regained her composure. _Don't get distracted now, Erza! _She scolded herself.

"So, how about this job?" He asked as he put the job request paper down on the table.

"A request to help capture bandits who have taken over in a nearby town called Clarion," she read. She added confidently, "It seems easy enough."

"Alright, it's settled then. We'll leave in an hour," he smiled.

"I'll go get ready. Let's meet at the train station in an hour," the re-quip mage stood up and left.

* * *

When Erza agreed to go on a job with him, he grinned in his mind. He didn't expect her to agree so easily, since they've been doing jobs as Team Natsu frequently. Plus, he thought this was one way to distract Erza from thinking about Jellal's death. He didn't want to see her cry again. It hurt him to see Erza that way, and he was determined to do something so that he won't ever see her that way again.

An hour has passed, and Zeke arrived at the train station. As he stood there for a few seconds, he saw the woman he loved walking towards him. He mentally slapped himself, saying, _"Focus, Zeke! You're out on a job, not a date!"_

"Ready to leave?" He asked the re-quip mage.

The re-quip mage nodded and said, "Yes, let's go." They boarded the train and took their seats.

"How long is the travel from here until Clarion?" Erza asked.

"Around one hour," he answered.

"I see," the re-quip mage nodded.

* * *

They arrived at the Town of Clarion, and a resident of the town saw their guild mark. "Are you the mages who accepted our request?" The man asked.

"Yes, where are the bandits who took over your town?" Zeke asked.

"Oh, thank you so much! They're at the bar, by themselves. You have to stop them, please!" The man pleaded.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of them that they'll regret ever facing us Fairy Tail mages and for taking over your town," Erza smirked.

The man looked happy and said, "We are in your debt. The bar is over there." He pointed to a small building to their right.

"We'll drive them out and make sure that they never cause trouble again for anyone!" The lightning specialist mage exclaimed as they walked towards the bar.

They headed towards the bar and busted the door down.

"Oy, you bandits! You better get away now, or we'll take care of you real good," Zeke shouted.

"If you don't want to face the wrath of Fairy Tail, leave this town immediately!" Erza added.

"He he he. Ain't no mages gonna stop us. We're gonna beat you guys up bad and send your bodies back to your guild," a huge man threatened. The two mages concluded that he was the boss.

"Now, my men! Attack!" The boss commanded the bandits.

The re-quip mage sighed, "They always want to do things the hard way."

She requipped into her Heaven's Wheel Armor and shouted, "Blumenblatt!" A hundred swords flashed towards the bandits and slashed through them, leaving half of them unconscious.

"Heh, now that's the power of Titania," Zeke said proudly. It was his turn to strike down what's left of their enemies. "Lightning Magic: Tiger's Claw!" He exclaimed, and a lightning tiger appeared, slashing at the enemies with its claws and shocking them.

"Hmm, looks like only their boss is left," the Titania smirked.

"I'll take care of him," the black-haired mage stepped forward. "Lightning Magic: Lightning Fist!" His right hand was covered in lightning. He ran and punched the boss, leaving the man paralyzed.

"Well, I guess that takes care of it," the lightning mage said as he cracked his knuckles.

"They weren't even a challenge," the scarlet-haired mage sighed.

"That was a good warm-up, though," Zeke said as he stretched.

"You're right about that," Erza smiled.

They walked out of the bar and saw the man they met a while ago.

"Have you taken care of the bandits?" The man asked.

"Yeah, we did," the black-haired mage said as she pointed to the unconscious men inside the bar.

"Oh, that makes me feel relieved. We can finally live in peace again," the man smiled. Then he bowed and added, "Here is your reward. I thank you deeply for your efforts."

The Titania bowed in return, "It was our pleasure."

The man waved, "Have a safe trip back on the way home." The Lightning waved back, "We will, and thank you for the reward."

* * *

On the way back to Magnolia, Erza sat in front of Zeke. There was a moment of silence, and the Requip mage didn't seem to be able to take the silence anymore. She decided to ask the first question that popped into her head, no matter how silly the question seemed.

"Should we split the reward now?" Asked the scarlet-haired mage.

"No need to do that, it's all yours," the black-haired mage smiled.

The scarlet-haired mage shook her head, "No, I couldn't possibly do that. It was a team effort, after all."

The black-haired mage put his hands up, "No, it's fine, really. Besides, you need the money more than I do. You haven't been on a job the past month, after all," he said casually.

The scarlet-haired mage smiled at his consideration, and decided to accept, since she knew that she couldn't change her childhood friend's mind. "Thank you," she said gratefully.

"No worries," the black-haired mage smiled.

Suddenly, the scarlet-haired mage stood up and sat beside the black-haired mage. The black-haired mage looked surprised at the action, but decided not to question it. She had requipped into her normal white blouse and blue skirt.

"Hmm? Why'd you requip into your normal blouse?" Asked the Lightning curiously.

"I just… feel at ease when I'm with you. It's like I don't need to wear my armor whenever you're near me," the Titania explained in a soft voice. Then she murmured, "Thank you for always protecting me."

The black-haired mage blushed and smiled at this. "No problem, I'll always be there to protect you." Then he wrapped his arm around the scarlet-haired mage, allowing her to lean in closer to him.

The Requip mage didn't protest against this action. It felt nice, being with him. He made her feel warm and happy, something she hadn't felt in the past month. It was at that point that she realized that she was beginning to have feelings for the black-haired mage that had always been there for her, protecting her.

By the time they arrived at Magnolia, the sun had set. "Looks like we're here," Zeke said. "And it seems that the sun had just set," he added.

"Mm-hmm," Erza murmured.

"Are you tired? I'll walk you home, then," the black-haired mage offered.

"If it's alright with you," the scarlet-haired mage responded.

"It's fine," the black-haired mage smiled.

The scarlet-haired mage smiled and accepted, "Alright, then."

They began walking, and after a few minutes, arrived in front of the requip mage's dorm.

"Thanks for walking me home, I appreciate it," the requip mage smiled gratefully.

"Sure, anytime," the lightning-specialist mage smiled back.

The requip mage stared into his eyes, suddenly wanting to move in closer to him. She debated it in her mind for a while, but decided not to. _I don't know if what I feel for him is real yet. I don't want to end up hurting him. Maybe next time, when the time is right and when I finally figure out about how I feel for him. And I still haven't completely moved on from Jellal yet. _She reasoned out.

Breaking into her thoughts, the black-haired mage said, "Well, I'll be going now. Get a good night's rest," he smiled.

"Take care. I'll see you in the guild tomorrow," she smiled back.

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow. Good night," he then used his teleportation magic and vanished.

As he disappeared, the requip mage went inside the dormitory and returned to her room, feeling happy. She was too happy to even remember the fact that he could have just used his teleportation magic to bring her to the dorm. As she lay on her bed, her thoughts went back on what happened at the train, when he wrapped his arms around her. At this, she smiled and fell asleep.

* * *

**A/N: And there's the end of the second chapter! Yes, I am aware that Zeke could just use his teleportation magic to take Erza home. But, isn't it sweeter if a guy walks a girl home instead of just taking the easy way out and use magic? I'll see you guys in the next chapter, and please feel free to leave a review. :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Another quick update! Hehe. ^_^ So, here's Chapter 3! Please leave a review so I would know if you guys like the story. :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.**

* * *

As Erza slept, she had a dream. She dreamt that she and Zeke were holding hands while walking through the streets of Magnolia. They were laughing and having a good time together. Then they decided to stop by the huge tree and sit down for a while. She then leaned her head on his chest, looking contented. They remained that way for a few minutes. Suddenly, the black-haired mage held her face gently between his hands. He smiled at her and whispered, _"I love you, Erza." _She smiled back and held his face back, her lips coming closer to his. Then they kissed. She whispered back into her ear, _"I love you too, Zeke." _

At this, she woke up, completely shocked from her dream. This was the first time she had dreamt of Zeke, and what's more, they kissed. Yes, she had just realized yesterday inside the train that she was already having feelings for her childhood friend, although the dream still shocked her. She decided to calm herself down and clear her thoughts by taking nice, long bath. It was still early, after all.

* * *

Zeke arrived at the guild, and he scanned the place, looking for Erza, but didn't find her there. _Hmm, she must still be asleep. It is still a bit early, anyway._ He thought. He decided to sit down and drink juice for a while as he waits for the scarlet-haired mage.

"Mira, can I please have some juice?" He called out to the take-over mage.

"Coming right up!" The take-over mage smiled. She brought the juice and placed it on the black-haired mage's table.

"Thanks, Mira!" He smiled.

"Anytime." She smiled sweetly; then went back to the counter.

At that moment, Natsu busted through the door of the guild, yelling, "Oy, Zeke! Fight me!" Natsu ran towards him, the flame mage's fist covered in flames. "Iron Fist of the Fire Dragon!" The flame mage yelled.

The black-haired mage sighed, "He just never learns, does he?" Then he let a small spark of lightning appear from his pointer finger, and touched the flame mage before he got a chance to land the punch.

"Aiiiieeee!" The flame mage yelled, the touch of the lightning mage shocking him.

"Sorry 'bout that, Natsu," the black-haired mage said.

"Aye, he's definitely strong," the pink-haired mage stated, still feeling the shock of the attack.

The guild members who witnessed this scene laughed. "Oy, flame-brain. There's no way you can beat Zeke, he's way stronger than you are." Taunted Gray.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY, ICEPICK?!" Natsu recovered and started screaming at Gray.

"You heard what I said! Or is your sense of hearing getting dull?" Gray provoked him.

"Why you!" The flame mage snapped and ran towards the ice mage, and a fight started between the two.

"Oh, dear. And so early in the morning," Mira sighed.

"That's your typical Natsu and Gray," Zeke laughed. "Really, though. Only Erza can stop those two from fighting," he stated. _Speaking of which, where is she right now? _He thought.

* * *

A few seconds later, Erza arrived at the guild. The first thing she saw was Natsu and Gray fighting. Again. She took a deep breath, walked near them, and spoke terrifyingly, "Natsu… Gray…"

The two mages noticed the demonic scarlet-haired mage's presence and stopped fighting. "AAAHHH, we're sorry! Please, don't kill us!" They shrieked.

"Now, stop fighting and get along with each other, okay?" She said dangerously.

"A-aye sir!" The flame mage and ice mage squeaked.

"Good," the requip mage nodded approvingly. She then scanned the guild, looking for Zeke. She spotted him, sitting alone. She wondered if he was waiting for her. _"Sheesh, Erza. Pull yourself together! Try not to think about the dream and approach him normally," _she scolded herself. She took a deep breath and approached him.

"Good morning," she greeted the black-haired mage casually.

"Hey, good morning to you, too. Did you have a good night's sleep?" He asked with a smile.

"Yes, I did," she smiled back. _Too much of a good night's sleep actually, thanks to that dream. _She thought to herself. She put that thought away, because she didn't want to start blushing and acting like a fool in front of him. "What about you?" She asked.

"Yeah, I slept pretty well," he smiled.

Natsu interrupted their conversation, slapping a piece of paper on the table. "Erza, Zeke, let's go on a job! It's been a bit of a long time since we went together on a job as Team Natsu, right?" The flame mage grinned widely.

Erza felt a bit annoyed, since she was happy spending time alone with the lightning mage. She wanted to punch Natsu across the room, but decided to control herself. She conceded, "Alright then. Go tell the others and we'll meet back here in two hours." She decided that two hours was more than enough for her to spend more time with the lightning mage.

"Yes! Alright Happy, let's go get Lucy and Gray," the flame mage said energetically.

"Aye, sir!" The blue exceed saluted and flew behind Natsu.

"Two hours, huh? Why don't we walk around Magnolia for a while, then?" Zeke asked.

She felt a little surprised at the offer, but decided not to show it. Maybe the black-haired mage sensed that she wanted to be alone with him? _There you go again, Erza, letting your imagination get the best of you again. _She mentally slapped herself. She felt happy, though. At least she'll get to spend some time with him, albeit short. "Sure, I don't see why not," the requip mage accepted.

They left the guild and started walking around Magnolia. "So, how've you been holding up?" The lightning mage asked.

She knew immediately that he was talking about Jellal. Ever since she has been spending more time with Zeke, she was finally beginning to move on from her feelings for Jellal and finally come to accept his death. "Well… I've finally come to terms with the fact that he's gone and that he's never coming back. And I know it's only been a month, but somehow, recently, I've found myself moving on from my feelings for him," she said slowly.

The black-haired mage beside her nodded and said, "Well, that's good to hear, because I was really worried that you might never move on from this." Then he hesitated.

Erza sensed the hesitation. Somehow, she knew what he was about to say next. "Especially since I loved him, right?" She said softly.

The lightning mage looked shocked. "How did you know that that was what I was supposed to say next?" He asked, feeling guilty.

The requip mage sensed that the lightning mage's feeling of guilt, and decided to say something. "There's no need to feel guilty. I sensed your hesitation, and I somehow knew what you wanted to say next. And we couldn't avoid this topic forever," she reassured him.

"I'm sorry for bringing it up," the lightning mage frowned.

"It's fine, really," the requip mage smiled. He was considerate of her feelings, and this was one thing that she liked about him.

The lightning mage still felt a little guilty, so he racked his brain for an idea on how to make it up to her. Then an idea came to him.

"Hey, why don't we have some strawberry cake? My treat" He offered.

"I see you're still feeling guilty. If this will help remove your feeling of guilt, then please, do so," the requip mage responded, trying hard to suppress a smile.

They headed towards the café and took their seats. A waitress approached them and asked for their orders. "What will you have, miss?" She smiled at Erza.

"I'll have a slice of strawberry cake. Thank you," the requip mage smiled back.

"And what about you, sir?" The waitress asked the lightning mage, a little too sweetly.

Erza noticed that the waitress was trying to flirt with the lightning mage and clenched her fists, trying to control herself from flaring up in she realized what she was doing and calmed down. _What the hell are you getting all jealous for? It's not like you're on a date, and you are _not _his girlfriend._ She scolded herself.

Apparently, the lightning mage also noticed the waitress's subtle attempt at flirting with him. "I'll have the same as hers," he said blandly.

The scarlet-haired mage peered at the waitress's face, waiting for her reaction. "I see. Well, I'll be back shortly with your order," the waitress smiled and left. If the waitress felt hurt at his reaction, she surely didn't show any sign of it.

The Titania smirked to herself. "It looks like you blew her off," the scarlet-haired mage pointed out.

"Yeah, well, I dislike girls that love to flirt. It just goes to show that they can't take things seriously," the black-haired mage said with distaste.

His response didn't surprise the scarlet-haired mage in any way. She _did _remember that over the past few years, a lot of girls would approach and attempt to flirt with him, but he blew them all off. And each time his response would be, _"Sorry, but there's only one girl I'm interested in." _And she remembered that all the girls would walk away, all the while saying _"Awww..." _dissapointedly. At the time, she didn't know if he was being serious or if he was just saying it as an excuse to get away from the girls.

She wanted to ask him if there was indeed such a girl in his life, but resisted the urge to do so; and if there really was a girl that he loved, she hoped that it was herself.

Their order arrived, and Erza looked at the waitress to see if she would make any attempt to flirt with Zeke again; the girl didn't. _Looks like she learned her lesson. _The scarlet-haired mage smirked. "I hope you enjoy your cake," the waitress bowed and walked away.

They enjoyed eating their cake and for the next hour and a half, they just sat in the café and talked about various topics. The black-haired mage then looked at the clock and noticed that it was about time to head back to the guild. He felt reluctant to leave, as he was having a good time being with the scarlet-haired mage. He sighed, and finally said, "Looks like it's about time we headed back to the guild."

The scarlet-haired mage nodded and replied, "You're right. We wouldn't want to keep the others waiting." Then she added with a smile, "Thank you for the cake."

The black-haired mage smiled back and said, "No problem. It was my pleasure." They stood up, and the black-haired mage said, "Hang on to me, I'll just teleport us back to the guild so it'll be quicker."

"Alright," she replied and held on to his shoulder.

* * *

Happy was the first to notice the two mages appear inside the guild. "The two went on a daaaaaate," he snickered. "They _liiiiiiiiike _each other."

This caused Zeke to blush and Erza to pop a vein, so she punched the blue cat forcefully, making the cat crash into a wall.

"Oy, Erza! What was that for?" Natsu whined.

"That wouldn't have happened if he didn't say such things in the first place," the scarlet-haired mage replied in a carefree manner. "Do you have any problems with that?"

"A-ah, n-no ma'am! Of course not!" The flame mage squeaked.

"Good," the scarlet-haired mage nodded. "Now, what job are we going to do?"

Lucy read the job request paper, "It says here that we have to stop a bunch of wyverns attacking Weatherby Town and the reward is 500,000 Jewel."

"We have five people in our team; namely, myself, Erza, Natsu, Lucy, and Gray. So that means we get 100,000 Jewel each," Zeke calculated.

"What about meeeee?" Happy complained and the five mages just ignored him.

"How long is the travel by train from here to there?" Erza asked.

"Around three hours. Natsu and I checked the train station a while ago when we bought tickets," Lucy replied.

"Shall we get going then?" Erza stood up.

Lucy looked at the clock. "Yeah, it's nearly time for our departure. Let's head to the station."

While they were walking to the station, Erza pulled Lucy aside and whispered, "Lucy, can you sit with Natsu, Happy, and Gray on the train? I just want to sit alone with Zeke…"

"Oh, so you _do _like Zeke, don't you?" Lucy teased Erza.

The requip mage blushed and hissed, "Don't tell _anyone_ in the guild. Otherwise, I will _kill _you."

"Y-y-y-yes ma'am!" The blonde mage replied with fear.

"I'm glad you understand," the requip mage nodded.

* * *

They arrived at the station and immediately boarded the train. Zeke noticed that Lucy, Natsu and Gray had already taken their seats. He felt someone tap his shoulder and he turned around to see whom it was. It was Erza, and she was pointing to an empty seat. He immediately understood what she meant and sat beside her.

As they sat down, the black-haired mage noticed two girls pointing two him. One had blue hair and the other had brown hair. "Hey, isn't that Zeke, the one nicknamed Lightning?" Asked the blue-haired girl. "Yeah. And hey, he looks more handsome in real life than in the pictures," the brown-haired girl said. "You're totally right," the blue-haired girl giggled. The two girls continued talking and giggling.

He could hear their conversation, but decided to ignore them. They didn't show signs of wanting to come near them, anyway. Besides, he was interested only in the scarlet-haired mage sitting beside him.

"It looks like you're really popular among the ladies," the scarlet-haired mage pointed out.

The black-haired mage just shrugged. "As long as they aren't bothering me, I'm fine with that."

"But is there anyone you're interested in right now?" The scarlet-haired mage asked bluntly.

The black-haired mage certainly did not expect this question. What's more, the girl he loved for all this time herself was the one asking him.

He regained his composure and answered, "Well, not exactly interested. Truth is, I'm in love with her."

"Oh really? Why don't you tell her how you feel then?" She asked.

"I'm still waiting for the right time to tell her. That, and I don't know if she feels the same way about me," he replied in the most casual way possible. _I don't know if _you _feel the same way about me right now. And this isn't the right time yet, Erza. _He thought.

"I see," the scarlet-haired mage seemed satisfied with his answer.

"What about you? Is there someone you're interested in?" The black-haired mage asked curiously.

This caused the requip mage to blush. "Yes, there is. I'm slowly beginning to love him, actually."

"That's good. And I gotta say, whoever that guy is, he's lucky," the black-haired mage smiled. Deep inside, he hoped that that guy was himself. And deep inside, the scarlet-haired mage hoped that it was herself that he loved.

* * *

**A/N: And here's the end of Chapter 3! I'm not really good with cliffhangers, so yeah. The mission will start in the next chapter. See you guys in the next one! Meanwhile, please leave a review. Thank you! ^_^**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Here's Chapter 4! I wanted to make the most of the last week of my summer vacation, so I worked on this story. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, especially because of the last parts. *Winks* So, yeah. Again, please feel free to leave a review. On to the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.**

* * *

It was past noon as Team Natsu arrived in Weatherby Town for their job. What they saw completely shocked them. There were destroyed buildings, the rubble scattered on the streets.

Happy stifled a laugh. "Aye, this looks like something Natsu would do."

"What the hell do you mean by that, Happy?! I don't destroy buildings all the time." The irritated flame mage replied.

"Sure, like anyone would believe you," Gray smirked.

"You three, stop it! We're here for a mission, so stop fighting," Erza commanded.

"A-aye sir!" The flame mage, ice mage and blue cat squeaked.

Zeke frowned. "So this is the work of the Wyverns, huh?"

"I feel sorry for the people who live here," Lucy said with sorrow.

"Don't worry, we'll beat these Wyvern guys up, no sweat!" The flame mage exclaimed confidently.

"Look, there are people over there. Let's ask them for more details," the lightning mage suggested. The four other mages agreed and they walked towards the crowd.

A woman noticed the approaching mages and approached them. "Are you the mages who accepted our request?" They nodded. "Oh, thank goodness! The mayor is waiting for you. I'll bring you to him." The woman sighed in relief.

"Thank you, ma'am," the lightning mage responded. The Fairy Tail mages followed the woman and she stopped in front of an old man wearing a brown suit. "Mayor, these are the mages who accepted our request," the woman spoke to the old man.

The mayor noticed their guild mark. "I see, so you are from Fairy Tail. Thank you for accepting our request," the old man smiled.

"We are honored to meet you, sir," the Titania said politely. "May we ask for details regarding your request?"

"Ah, yes. These past few days, the Wyverns have been attacking our town. There were three of them and the mages of our town tried to stop them, but couldn't.

"It left us no choice but to seek help from stronger guilds. Luckily, they decided not to attack our town today. Apparently, they are now staying on top of that mountain," the mayor pointed to a mountain nearby. "We would really appreciate it if you get rid of them."

"No problem, gramps. We'll beat them up good for the sake of your town!" The flame mage exclaimed.

"Thank you so much for your kindness. We will give you your reward when you have accomplished your mission," the mayor bowed gratefully.

"All right! Time to beat up those Wyverns up!" The flame mage punched his palm.

"Hang on to me guys, I'll use my Teleportation Magic to bring us to the top of the mountain," the lightning mage said.

"Hey, Zeke. Why can't you use your Teleportation Magic to transport to other towns? I mean, it'd be easier that way for us plus we don't have to pay for train rides," asked Natsu.

"In other words, it's so you wouldn't have to experience motion sickness anymore. Right, Natsu?" Lucy giggled.

"Yeesh, Lucy! Cut it out!" The flame mage blushed in embarrassment.

The lightning mage laughed. "Well, I still haven't completely mastered it, so I can only teleport to nearby places. Unless you place a member of Fairy Tail in every town in Fiore, I can't teleport to every town," he explained.

"Yes, since his ability also allows him to teleport to anyone with the Fairy Tail guild mark, no matter how far they may be," Erza added.

"But the downside is that my magical power drains more quickly with the more people I bring with me, and the farther the place I teleport to. So, I only use it when it's absolutely necessary. Although, in this case, the top of the mountain isn't that far, so it's fine if I use it to bring us there," he shrugged.

"Hmm, I don't really get it, but whatever," the flame mage grinned.

"Well, we better get going before the Wyverns decide to attack the town. We don't want to risk more townspeople getting hurt," Gray said.

"You're right," the lightning mage nodded. "Hang on, everyone!"

In an instant, the Fairy Tail mages were teleported on top of the mountain.

"That was quick," the ice mage commented.

"They don't call Zeke the Lightning mage for nothing," Lucy added.

"Head's up, guys!" The lightning mage shouted as he pointed behind the others.

They ducked as they saw the Wyverns flying toward them.

"Ice Make: Lance!"

"Roar of the Fire Dragon!"

"Open, Gate of the Bull! Taurus!"

"Requip: Heaven's Wheel Armor! Blumenblatt"

"Lightning Magic: Thousand Blades!"

Their attacks barely hit, as the Wyverns decided to take flight.

The lightning mage saw scars on the Wyverns' wings. _That must be their weak point. If I manage to paralyze their wings, they won't be able to take flight and we'll be able to take them down easily. _He thought. He decided to relay this information to the others.

"Guys! I saw scars on their wings. That must mean that it's their weak point. I'll try to paralyze their wings, and then we'll start attacking them at once!" He commanded.

"Got it!" They yelled.

"Lightning Magic: Lightning Surge!" A surge of lightning burst towards the Wyverns, but because of their speed, they managed to dodge the attack.

"Dammit! They're too fast!" He exclaimed.

"Man, are those things quick!" The ice mage fell back.

The mages sent one attack after another, their spells barely hitting.

"What the hell's up with these guys?! Our attacks are barely hitting them at all!" The flame mage complained.

Then the lightning mage had another idea. He would teleport behind the wyverns, and use his magic to paralyze their wings. "Hey! Try to dodge their attacks as best as you guys can. I'll teleport behind them and paralyze their wings!" He commanded.

They nodded, dodging the Wyverns while attempting to hit their wings.

He used his teleportation magic and got behind one Wyvern. "Lightning Magic: Lightning Blast!" He cast the spell. And it hit its target, bringing down the first Wyvern. He used the same tactic with the remaining two, and in a matter of seconds, all three Wyverns dropped to the ground, their wings completely paralyzed.

He dropped down to the ground. "Alright guys, let's bring them down for good!" He exclaimed.

"Yosh!" They shouted.

"Iron Fist of the Fire Dragon!"

"Ice Make: Hammer!"

"Blumenblatt!"

"Lightning Magic: Lightning Burst!"

"Go! Taurus!"

After the barrage of attacks from the five mages, the Wyverns were left dead.

"Alright! We did it!" They cheered.

The lightning mage grinned. "Alright, let's go back guys. Hang on to me," he said.

They held on to the lightning mage and in an instant, they were back in the town. They headed to the mayor to report that the job was done.

"Sir, we've taken care of the Wyverns. They won't be attacking your town any more," the lightning mage reported.

"I see. I had faith that you would be able to take care of it. Here is your reward, and all of us would like to thank you for a job well done," the mayor handed the reward to the lightning mage.

"It was our pleasure to be of service to your town. And we also thank you for the generous reward," the Titania added.

The mayor smiled and waved, "Take care on your way home! And please feel free to drop by again anytime when we're finished reconstructing our town."

"We will! And thank you again!" The Fairy Tail mages smiled and waved back.

They turned around and headed back to the train station.

"I'm glad the job took place on top of the mountain. There was nothing to destroy, so we received our reward in full," Lucy said happily. The other mages laughed.

They boarded the train, their seating arrangement the same as when they were headed to Weatherby Town; but this time, Erza was sitting beside Zeke and she requipped into her normal outfit.

"That was a good strategy you thought up back there," the requip mage complimented the lightning mage.

"I wouldn't have been able to think it up if I hadn't seen the scars on their wings," he said modestly.

"You're too modest," the requip mage smirked.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" He quirked an eyebrow playfully.

"It's a good thing, of course," the scarlet-haired mage laughed.

The black-haired mage laughed back. He loved the way she laughed; it was music to his ears.

A cold breeze entered the window of the train, and he felt the requip mage shiver.

"Hey, are you feeling cold?" He asked in concern.

"A little, yes. It must be the cold air going in through the window," the scarlet-haired mage replied.

The black-haired mage took off his jacket and placed it on the scarlet-haired mage.

"Feeling warmer?" He asked with a smile.

"But you'll feel cold," she protested.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me," he reassured her.

"Thank you, Zeke," she mumbled and leaned her head against his chest, feeling his heartbeat and the rise and fall of his chest. _He feels so warm. _She thought. She now realized that she had completely fallen in love with the black-haired mage. The last thing she felt was his arm, wrapped around her as she fell asleep.

The black-haired mage noticed that the scarlet-haired mage had fallen asleep in his arms. He smiled at her sleeping face, thinking how beautiful and peaceful she looked. He stroked her hair, wishing the moment would last forever. He had to thank Lucy afterward for letting the others sit with her in separate seats, be it intentional or not.

* * *

It was dark when Team Natsu arrived at Magnolia, and the air was chilly. The mages went their separate ways, except for Zeke and Erza.

"Wow, it's still chilly, even here," he commented. He turned to Erza and said, "Here, I'll teleport you home. I wouldn't want you to stay out in the cold any longer."

"You should be more concerned about yourself. You're just wearing a shirt," she scolded him.

The lightning mage just grinned. "Don't worry about me, I can manage. Besides, I can teleport right back home, so it's alright. Now, c'mon." Then he held out his hand.

"Honestly," the scarlet-haired mage just smiled and took his hand.

In an instant, they found themselves in front of Fairy Hills.

"Thank you for accompanying me again, Zeke. I really appreciate your thoughtfulness," the scarlet-haired mage smiled warmly at the black-haired mage.

"Anytime," the black-haired mage smiled back.

The scarlet-haired mage realized that she was still holding his hand. She didn't want to let go, and now that she was sure of her feelings for him, she wanted to confess. She placed his hand on her face. The black-haired mage seemed surprised by her action. "Erza?" He asked, looking shocked.

"Zeke, remember what I said on the train when we were on the way to Weatherby Town?" She asked.

"The one where you said that there was someone you were slowly beginning to love?" He asked in reply.

She smiled, feeling glad that he remembered. "The truth is… that person is you. I love you, Zeke."

He smiled. "Then, do you remember when I told you that I was in love with this girl?"

"Yes, I do," she replied. What if it wasn't her? She was panicking inside her mind. _But wait, if he's smiling at me, then that means… _She trailed off in her mind.

He placed his other hand on her face. "Well… that girl is you, Erza. I love you, too. I always have, and I always will."

Erza blushed and placed her hands on his waist. He pulled her closer, their faces inching closer to each other. Finally, they kissed. It was magical for both of them. They pulled apart, and he asked the question he wanted to ask her for a long time. "Erza Scarlet, will you be my girlfriend?" He asked in a soft and loving voice.

"Yes, Zeke Bolton. I will be your girlfriend," she smiled.

He smiled back, pulled her in again, and they kissed passionately. After a few minutes, they pulled apart, giving each other room to breathe. They smiled at each other, both feeling happy.

"I'll see you tomorrow. Is it alright with you if we go to the guild together? I'll be waiting in your dorm's lounge," he whispered in her ear.

"Yes, it's fine by me," the scarlet-haired mage smiled.

"Alright. Good night, Erza. Sweet dreams. I love you…" He said softly.

"Good night, Zeke. I love you too…" She whispered and smiled.

"You better get in now, I've been keeping you out in the cold for too long," he grinned.

She smiled and said, "You better teleport home now, as well. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," he waved and vanished.

She went inside her dorm and went to her room. She noticed that she was still wearing his jacket. _Oh, I forgot to return his jacket. I'll just return it tomorrow. _She thought. She then lay in bed, and wrapped his jacket around her, feeling its warmth. _It's warm, just like him. _She smiled and dozed off.

* * *

**A/N: And here's the end of chapter 4! Truth be told, I was feeling all giddy when I wrote the last parts of this chapter. Hahaha. And I'm sorry if the battle scene wasn't that good. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! See you next time! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here's Chapter 5! I would just like to thank the people who left reviews. Hehe. :D I don't really have anything to say, so, yeah. On with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.**

* * *

Zeke felt the sunlight shine through his windows and woke up. He smiled as he remembered last night's events. He stood up and grabbed his clothes. He looked for his jacket; but remembered that it was still with Erza. _That's right, I let her borrow it. I'll be meeting her in Fairy Hills this morning anyway, so I guess she'll bring it with her. _He thought. He headed to the bathroom to take a shower. Usually, he wouldn't bother to fix his hair right after taking a shower; but this time, it was different. He already has a girlfriend, and he always has to look his best for her. He grinned, then put on his clothes, fixed his hair, and left the house.

He thought about teleporting immediately to Fairy Hills, but thought that Erza might still be asleep; so he decided to walk. _Besides, it's not that far anyway, and the weather is perfect. _He thought. Along the way, he stopped by a flower shop and decided to buy a rose.

"Good morning, sir. How can I help you?" Greeted an old woman who appeared to be the shopkeeper.

He picked a rose and smiled. "I'll have this one. Thank you." Then he headed to the counter to pay.

"That will be 100 Jewel," the shopkeeper said. "Is it for your girlfriend?"

The lightning mage blushed as he took out his wallet, "Yeah, it is. We just became a couple yesterday."

"Tell you what, you can have it for free, as a congratulations from me," The shopkeeper smiled.

"Thank you very much!" The lightning mage smiled back.

"My pleasure. Now, get going. You wouldn't want to keep a lady waiting, right?" The shopkeeper shooed him out playfully.

"Thanks again, ma'am!" The lightning mage smiled and wave before he left.

The lightning mage whistled happily as he continued walking toward Fairy Hills. He arrived in front of the entrance, brushed himself, and entered. There was no one at the lobby. _Erza might not be awake yet. _He thought. He sat on the sofa and decided to wait for her.

After a few more minutes of waiting, he saw Erza descend down the stairs. He stood up and hid the rose, wanting to surprise her.

"Oh, Zeke. Have you been waiting long?" Erza asked.

"Nope, I just got here a few minutes ago," he replied casually.

"I see. Oh, and here's your jacket. I forgot to return it to you last night. Thank you again for letting me borrow it," she handed him the jacket and he wore it.

"No problem. I have something for you," he pulled out the rose and offered it to her.

The scarlet-haired mage blushed and smelled the rose. "It's beautiful, Zeke. Thank you." Then she looked up at his face. "And you fixed your hair, too. You look even nicer," she complimented.

"Yeah, well, I have to look nice for the most beautiful girl right?" He grinned.

"Are you trying to flatter me?" She punched his arm playfully.

"I'm just telling the truth," he waved his hands up.

"I know," she smiled and pulled him in for a kiss.

They pulled apart and the lightning mage smiled. "Now _that _was a great way to say good morning," he commented. Then he took her hand and laced it in his. "Now, shall we?"

"Yes, let's go," she smiled and gripped his hand tighter.

Shortly, they arrived at the guild. Everyone's eyes widened when they saw the two mages holding hands. "W-w-what? You guys are together?!" They shouted in shock.

The scarlet-haired mage emitted a dark aura. "Yes. Now, do you have any problems with that?"

"N-n-no, of course not! We were just shocked, that's all," they sweat dropped.

"Aah! Juvia is jealous! Juvia wishes Gray-sama would be like Zeke-kun!" Juvia shouted.

Zeke scanned the guild for Lucy and found her sitting with Natsu. _I'll have to thank her later. _He thought.

The couple sat facing each other at an unoccupied table and ordered their breakfast.

"Mira, I'll have bacon and egg with rice and juice," the lightning mage said.

"And I'll have my strawberry cake, thank you," the requip mage added.

"Coming right up!" The take over mage said cheerfully.

The lightning mage took the requip mage's hand and placed their hands on top of the table. The requip mage blushed at the gesture.

"What is it? She asked.

"I just wanted to thank you for saying 'yes' on becoming my girlfriend," he said sincerely. "I felt so happy, because I never thought that I would be the reason you would learn to love again. I promise you won't regret your decision; I'll make you happy and I'll protect you. I just want you to know that I'll never leave you and that I will _never _do anything to hurt you. I really _do _love you, Erza Scarlet."

"I know you do, and I want to thank you for always being there for me. Thank you for everything you've done for me. I love you too, Zeke Bolton," she smiled. He smiled back and kissed her deeply. She smiled in between the kiss and kissed him back. She loved the way his lips moved against hers; and he loved her strawberry scent. She loved him; the love she felt for the black-haired mage is stronger than what she ever felt for Jellal. They pulled apart, and the guild cheered. The couple laughed.

Shortly after, Mira arrived with their orders. "Congratulations on being a couple, Zeke and Erza!" She smiled.

"Thank you, Mira," the scarlet-haired mage smiled at her old rival.

"Well, I'll be leaving now. I wouldn't want to disturb you two," she giggled and went back to the bar.

"She really does love pairing people up, huh?" The black-haired mage laughed.

"I suppose she does," the scarlet-haired mage smiled. She continued enjoying her cake.

They finished their breakfast, and the two mages just sat back and relaxed, talking about different things and laughing at some points.

Then Zeke heard someone call for him. "Zeke, the master asked for you to come to his office." He turned around and saw that it was Mira calling out.

"Oh, uh, sure. Thanks Mira," he stood up then started walking towards Master Makarov's office.

As he left, Erza wore a puzzled look. _I wonder what the Master wants with him? _She thought. Then she decided to just ask Zeke when he comes back. When she looked up, she found Lucy sitting in front of her.

"Hmm? Lucy? Is there something you want?" The scarlet-haired mage asked.

"C'mon, Erza you know what I'm going to ask," the blonde mage giggled.

"Just spit it out, Lucy," the scarlet-haired mage threatened.

"A-alright, alright! Calm down, Erza!" The blonde mage sweat dropped, feeling scared. "So, what happened with you and Zeke when we got home yesterday? Last I checked, you guys still weren't a couple until we got back from the mission." Her eyes glimmered.

The scarlet-haired mage blushed as she recounted the events that took place last night and this morning, before they headed to the guild.

"Kyaa! That's so sweet of him," the blonde mage squealed.

The scarlet-haired mage smiled, then looked towards the Master's office, wondering about what the Master wanted to talk to Zeke about.

* * *

Zeke knocked on the door of the Master's office, then he heard a voice say, "Come in." He opened the door and entered the room. The Master motioned for the young mage to sit down. The young mage closed the door and took his seat.

"I heard that you and Erza have become a couple. I wanted to congratulate you," the master grinned. "You brats are really growing up."

"Thank you, Master." The young mage grinned back. "But I take it that you did not call me just to say your congratulations, right?"

The Master smiled at how sharp and quick to understand the young mage was. "Yes. The main reason I asked you to come here is because I have a mission for you. I'll explain further once the others arrive here."

"The others?" The young mage asked, looking puzzled.

At that exact same moment, the door opened and Natsu, Gajeel, and Gray were outside.

"Yo, Gramps! You asked for us?" The flame mage grinned.

"Yes, please close the door," the Master requested. Gray, being the last to enter, closed the door.

The Master cleared his throat and started speaking. "The reason why I called all of you here is because I have a mission for you. It was requested directly to our guild from a neighboring kingdom called Mirahar. The king requested for the assistance of our guild because he is afraid that a dark guild called the Night Devils might attack their castle.

"The reason they think this is because when one of the castle guards was taking a vacation in a different town, he overheard two mages talking about their master wanting to attack the castle, kill the king, and take over the kingdom. The guard took a peek at them, and saw the guild mark of the Night Devils on their arms. Therefore, your mission is to protect the castle at all costs, and when this dark guild does attack, it is your job to get rid of them."

The four mages nodded to signify that they understood what the master said. Then Gray asked, "When do we leave, gramps?"

"You will leave early tomorrow morning. The king believes that the dark guild will not yet attack this day. But it is best if you leave earlier tomorrow, to be sure. Do not take this guild lightly, because from the rumors I have heard, their master is quite strong. But I chose the four of you because I believe you are strong enough for this mission," the master explained. Then he waved his hand towards the door. "You may leave."

When the three other mages went outside, the Master spoke again. "And Zeke?"

"Yes, Master?" The young mage asked.

"Be sure that you come back alive. Erza loves and cares for you deeply; probably even stronger than what she ever felt for Jellal. I do not want to see her suffer again," the Master said seriously.

"I understand, Master. Don't worry; I have every intention of coming back here alive. And I promised her that I would never leave her," the young mage said with conviction.

"Very good. That is all, you may go," he dismissed the young mage.

The black-haired mage nodded and left, closing the door.

* * *

Erza saw Zeke emerge from the Master's office and walk towards their table.

"Oh, they're back. I wonder what Master wanted with the four of them?" Lucy wondered. "Well, I guess I'll ask Natsu." She stood up and headed towards Natsu.

"Oh, Lucy, hang on. I want to tell you something," Zeke called out to Lucy.

"What is it, Zeke?" Lucy asked.

"Thanks for sitting with Gray and Natsu at the train yesterday. If it weren't for that, me and Erza might not still be together by now," the black-haired mage grinned.

"Sure! Good luck on your relationship!" The Celestial Spirit mage grinned.

"Yeah, thanks Lucy!" The black-haired mage said gratefully.

The scarlet-haired mage heard everything, and she blushed. _Well, it's because I told her to do it. _She thought.

Zeke took his seat in front of Erza. "What did Master talk to you about?" Erza asked.

"The Master wanted to congratulate us for being a couple," he smiled.

"I see. That's not all, is it?" She asked curiously.

"Yeah, well, he gave me, Natsu, Gray, and Gajeel a mission." He relayed everything that the Master told them. He left out the part about the Master requesting him to come back alive, though. He didn't want to add depressing thoughts into her head.

She nodded as he finished explaining. "When are you leaving?"

"Early tomorrow morning. So I might not see you before we leave," he replied.

"Oh," was all the scarlet-haired mage managed to say. He caught the look of disappointment and sadness in her eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it. And we still have the rest of the day to spend together," he smiled and held her face, hoping it'll make her feel better.

"You're right, I shouldn't be depressed about this," she smiled back.

He grinned. "Now that's more like it." He pulled back his hands. In a blur, the scarlet-haired mage moved her face towards the black-haired mage and crushed her lips onto his. The black-haired mage eyes' widened in shock, but finally closed his eyes and kissed her back. They pulled apart and he chuckled, "Well, I didn't see that coming."

"I caught you by surprise, didn't I?" The scarlet-haired mage smirked.

"You totally got me," the black-haired mage laughed. "Hey, do you want to go somewhere?" He asked.

"Are you asking me out on a date?" She arched her eyebrows playfully.

"Yeah, we're a couple now, right? I want to spend the rest of the day alone with you," he grinned.

"Alright then," she accepted.

They both stood up and he held his hand out to her. She took his hand and intertwined it in hers. "Mira, Erza and I will be out for the rest of the day, alright?" He called out to Mira.

"Sure, enjoy your date," she giggled.

It was noon when they left the guild, so they decided to have lunch first at a restaurant that served Italian food. After eating, they went around various shops in Magnolia. They had a good time, just talking, laughing and enjoying each other's company. After hours of walking, they decided to just relax by sitting underneath the huge tree at the park. People didn't stop by the park, so they had the tree all to themselves.

The scarlet-haired mage lay her head down on the lap of the black-haired mage. He smiled down at her as he stroked her hair.

"Zeke, can I ask you something?" She asked.

"Sure, what is it?" He smiled.

"I was wondering… were there any other girls that you liked before me?" She looked up at his face.

"No, there weren't. It's always been you that I loved," he replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious… because I never saw you go out with a girl, or approach any, for that matter," she explained.

"I see…" He paused. "Erza… the truth is, I've loved you since we were kids. I just couldn't bring myself to tell you, because I knew how you felt for Jellal. But I didn't care about that fact. All I knew was, I loved you. And I didn't care how long it would take, I decided that I would wait for you."

She didn't know how to react to this revelation. Zeke – her childhood friend – had been waiting for her all this time. And all this time, she was hurting him because she had loved someone else.

"Zeke, I-" She tried to say something but was cut off by Zeke.

"Erza, you don't have to feel guilty. It was my decision, after all. What matters right now is that I know you feel the same way for me. I don't care about anything else," he said in finality.

At hearing his words, she sat up. "But, all this time, I was hurting you," she protested.

"No, Erza. I didn't care about the pain. All I wanted was for you to be happy. You already said that you feel the same way that I do for you, so there's no reason for you to feel guilty any longer," he said.

"But, Zeke-" She was cut off as he pressed her lips against hers. After a few seconds, he pulled apart from her.

"No more of this, Erza. Right now, I love you, and you love me back. That's reason enough for you to forgive yourself," he said sternly.

"You know, you're the first one I ever lost to in an argument," she chuckled. "You're right, I shouldn't beat myself up over it." She looked seriously at him. "Zeke, I love you. What I feel for you is so much stronger than what I ever felt for Jellal."

Upon hearing her words, he remembered what Master Makarov had told him before he left the Master's office.

"_Be sure that you come back alive. Erza loves and cares for you deeply; probably even stronger than what she ever felt for Jellal. I do not want to see her suffer again,"_ the Master's words resounded in his head.

He tipped her chin so that she was facing up to him. "I love you too, Erza, and I'm happy to know that." He smiled then kissed her passionately. They pulled apart, and he wrapped his arms around her.

"Let's not argue anymore, alright?" He whispered into her ear.

"Alright," she smiled.

"Do you want to eat dinner at my place?" He offered.

"Yes, I'd love to," she accepted.

"Let's get going," he stood and helped her up. She held his hand, and he teleported in front of his home.

He unlocked the door, and they went in. She looked around and saw that the place was clean. "You can sit over there and wait. I'll prepare the dinner," he pointed to a couch. "I'll call you when the food's done."

"Thank you," she said and sat down on the couch.

After thirty minutes, she heard Zeke call out to her. "Erza, dinner's done!"

She stood up and headed to the kitchen. Zeke placed the food on the table and set up the plates and eating utensils. He pulled out one chair and beckoned Erza to sit down. They sat opposite each other. He prepared beef curry and rice. She inhaled, taking in the scent of the food. "That smells nice," she commented.

"Thanks! Let's eat," he smiled.

When they finished eating, Erza offered to help Zeke wash the dishes. "Let me help you with the dishes," she said.

"No, I can't do that, you're my guest," he refused.

"No, I insist. I don't want to trouble you any further," she insisted.

"Well, alright," he conceded.

After washing the dishes, they sat on the couch. Zeke wrapped his arms around Erza as she leaned on his chest. "Zeke, I'll miss you," she said with a hint of sadness.

"I'll miss you, too, Erza. I'll do my best to finish up this job quickly, and I'll come back in a flash," he said confidently.

The requip mage chuckled. "Just promise me you'll be careful, okay? And come back safe to the guild, to me."

"I promise, Erza. I won't leave you," he said solemnly.

"Can I stay here and sleep with you?" She asked.

"Sure, if it'll make you happy," he smiled.

"Thank you, Zeke. Good night. I love you," she looked up at him.

"Good night, Erza. I love you, too," he kissed her.

They fell asleep that night, both of them smiling and their arms wrapped around each other.

* * *

**A/N: And there's the end of the fifth chapter! I'm sorry if some scenes were cheesy. I must have read too much of Nicholas Sparks' novels. Haha. I hope you guys enjoyed reading! Please feel free to leave a review! Until next time! :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Here's Chapter 6! Aaand, it's the last day of my vacation. T_T Happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.**

* * *

It was early morning, and Zeke had just woken up; he tried to move but found that something, or rather, _someone _was restricting his movements. He looked down and saw Erza, sleeping peacefully on his chest with her arms wrapped around him. _Oh, that's right; we both fell asleep here on the couch last night. _He thought. He wanted her to be comfortable, so he lifted her arms and head gently, then carried her bridal style and put her on his bed. He went into the kitchen and opened the fridge. He took a slice of strawberry cake and placed it on the table. _Erza's gonna like this. _He grinned.

Then he took out a pen and piece of paper and began to write a note. After he finished writing, he placed the paper on the table. "Zeke… uhn. Be careful. I love you, Zeke…" She mumbled in her sleep. He smiled; he loved the fact that she was dreaming of him. He bent down and looked at her sleeping face; so calm, so peaceful, and so beautiful. He tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear; then he kissed her forehead; then her lips. "I love you, too, Erza…" He whispered in her ear.

He ate breakfast, took a shower, dressed up, and headed to the guild. Gajeel and Gray were already inside when he arrived.

"Where's Natsu?" Zeke asked.

"He's not here yet. That flame brain idiot must still be asleep," Gray replied.

"Gihi, we'll give him twenty minutes at most. If he doesn't arrive by then, we're leaving him," Gajeel smirked.

The black-haired mage nodded and took a seat. Fifteen minutes later, Natsu came crashing in the guild with Happy flying behind him.

"Oy, flame-brain! You're late!" Gray pointed out angrily.

"If you had been late five more minutes, we'd have left you behind, Salamander!" Gajeel added.

"Are you guys trying to pick a fight?!" Natsu screamed angrily.

Zeke sighed and stood up. "That's enough, Natsu! Erza won't be on the job with us, so all of you are my responsibility. You better behave, alright?" He glared.

Natsu gulped and squeaked, "A-a-aye sir!"

"Now, let's get going. We can't afford to waste any more time," the lightning mage walked out and the other three followed behind him.

"Oh dear," Mira giggled in a corner as she witnessed the whole scene.

The Master chuckled, "Being Erza's boyfriend, it seems he caught her scary side."

The four mages headed towards the train station and boarded the train. "Aww, man. Trains, again?" Natsu complained.

"Well, suck it up flame brain. It's the only way we're getting to Mirahar," the ice mage smirked. Natsu could do nothing but groan while the iron dragon slayer just laughed at the exchange between the two.

"Hey Zeke, how many hours is the travel time?" Gray asked.

"Five hours," Zeke replied.

"Got it. Thanks," the ice mage said.

The lightning mage nodded and stared out the window, wondering if Erza was still asleep at this time.

* * *

Two hours after the black-haired mage left for his mission, Erza had finally woken up and found that she was lying down on a bed. _That's strange, I remember falling asleep on the couch with Zeke. _She thought. She found a note on his bedside table. _It must be from Zeke. _She smiled, feeling a sense of déjà vu.

_Erza,_

_Good morning! I wanted you to be comfortable while you slept, so I put you on my bed when I woke up. By the way, I put a slice of your favorite strawberry cake on the table. And feel free to use the shower. I'll be back in a flash after the mission. Hahaha. And don't worry; I'll be careful out there. I love you, Erza Scarlet._

_~Zeke_

_P.S. I'll make sure Natsu and Gray don't cause any trouble during the mission._

She laughed as she read the P.S. in the note. Then she went to the kitchen, and sure enough, a slice of strawberry cake was lying on the table. She sat down and began eating the cake, enjoying the taste of strawberries. "Thank you, Zeke…" She said with a smile. After eating, she cleaned up and decided to use his shower. After that, she requipped into her armor and blue skirt; then headed to the guild.

She arrived and noticed that the guild was quiet. _Well, Natsu and Gray aren't here so it makes perfect sense for the guild to be quiet. _She smiled to herself.

"Good morning, Erza!" Mira greeted her. Erza nodded and smiled at her greeting, then sat at the bar. Lucy and Cana were also sitting there. And as usual, Cana was drinking her alcohol, even though it's still morning.

"Will you have your strawberry cake now?" The take over mage asked.

"No, I already had one earlier," the requip mage said politely.

"I see. So, where were you last night? I didn't see you go home to our dorm," the take over mage grinned devilishly.

"I slept over at Zeke's house last night," the requip mage replied in a carefree manner.

"EEEHHH?!" Lucy shrieked.

Cana smirked and asked, "Ooohh, so what _exactly _did you two do in his house last night?"

"We just had dinner and we slept on his couch," the requip mage said nonchalantly.

_So carefree! _Lucy shouted in her mind, while the card mage and take over mage just sweatdropped.

"A-ah, I see," the take over mage smiled awkwardly.

"Why? Is anything the matter? Why are you three looking at me like that?" She demanded.

"I-it's nothing, Erza. Don't worry about it," the celestial spirit mage waved her hands in the air.

"Hmm. Well, if you say so," the requip mage shrugged.

Lucy suddenly snapped her fingers as though she thought of a great idea. The scarlet-haired mage looked puzzled. "What is it, Lucy?"

"Why don't we have a girls' night out? You know, maybe a sleepover or something?" Lucy smiled.

"That's a great idea, Lucy!" Mira agreed with her.

"And let's drink until we drop!" Cana exclaimed.

"Seriously, Cana. Will you ever stop drinking? Or even stop talking about drinking, for that matter?" Mira pouted.

Then Lucy turned to Erza. "What do you say, Erza?"

"I don't see why not. I don't have anything to do, anyway. Besides, it sounds like fun," Erza nodded and smiled.

"Alright! I'll go tell Levy. We'll have it at my place tonight, okay?" Lucy smiled cheerfully and headed off to tell Levy.

Erza smiled, thinking that this may be a good way to be distracted and not worry about Zeke too much.

* * *

It was past noon when the four male mages arrived at the kingdom of Mirahar. As they got off the train, the king's messenger waved to them.

"You are Fairy Tail mages, correct?" The messenger asked. The four mages nodded. "King Terrald has asked me to bring you to the castle. My name is Odon, by the way."

"Thank you, Odon," the lightning mage smiled.

The Fairy Tail mages followed Odon, and after a few minutes of walking, they found themselves in front of the castle. Natsu stared in awe, "Wow, that's huge." Happy chirped, "Aye sir!"

"Well, duh flame-brain! It's a castle," Gray face-palmed himself.

"And what the hell are you implying, huh, stripper?!" Natsu was about to lunge himself towards the ice mage but was stopped by Zeke. "Stop it, Natsu! We are about to be in the presence of the king, so be on your best behavior," he commanded.

"Gihi, looks like you got told off again by Zeke, Salamander," Gajeel pointed out.

"Tch, whatever," the flame mage clucked his tongue.

"I am sorry for their behavior, Odon," the lightning mage apologized to the messenger.

"It's fine. Follow me, I'll lead you to the throne room," Odon started walking and the mages followed him. Odon then stopped in front of a large wooden door and knocked. "Come in," they heard a deep voice say.

Odon opened the door and they walked inside. They stopped in front of the king and knelt down, which was the courteous thing to do. "Please, stand up," the king requested.

They stood up at his request. The king looked… well, how you would expect a king to look like. He was a bit old, maybe in his sixties. He had dark green eyes and had short gray hair, and a long gray beard. He wore a golden crown and his face showed seriousness and wisdom.

"You may have heard, but I would like to introduce myself formally. I am King Terrald, ruler of this kingdom," the King paused. "Please, introduce yourselves."

One by one, the Fairy Tail mages introduced themselves to the King. The King nodded, making sure to remember their names. "I would like to thank you for accepting our request. You will be assigned to guard the palace along with the guards. Zeke, you will be assigned to the rear part of the palace; Gray, you are assigned to the left side; Natsu, you will guard the right side; and Gajeel, you will guard the roof, just in case they try an aerial assault. The entrance is assigned to the guards themselves, for we believe that they will not be so reckless as to barge in the main entrance. You may now go to your respective assigned places."

The four mages nodded, signifying that they understood the King's orders. They went to their respective assigned places and guarded the castle. Nothing happened so far… until nighttime fell.

* * *

Nighttime fell upon Magnolia, and at a certain someone's house, four female mages were having fun.

"Kyaa! HAHAHA! Lu-chan! AHAH! Stop! AHAHAHAHA!" Levy rolled on the floor, laughing hard while Lucy tickled her.

As usual, Cana was drinking and Mira was scolding the card mage. "Sheesh, Cana! This is a sleepover, not a drinking party!"

"C'mon, Mira. Loosen up a bit. It's as if you're not used to see me drinking all the time," the brunette laughed.

"Fine," the white-haired mage laughed.

Erza was also laughing and having a great time with the girls. After a few more minutes of tickling Levy, Lucy finally stopped.

Then Mira grinned devilishly. She was planning on making the girls confess on which guy they liked. "Hey girls, huddle up! I want to talk to you about something."

The four mages sat in a circle. "It's confession time!" The take-over mage grinned like it's the best idea she ever had.

"EEHH?!" Lucy-shrieked

"W-w-what are you t-t-talking about, Mira-san?" Levy stuttered.

"Heh, this should be fun." Cana smirked.

"I don't see any problem with that." Erza said in a carefree manner.

_That's because he's already your boyfriend! _Levy and Lucy shouted in their heads. _And Cana doesn't have anyone she likes! _They continued shrieking in their heads.

Mira clapped her hands together and smiled. "Well, it's simple. We tell each other who we like and why we like them." Then she looked at Erza. "But, in one certain case, she'll just have to tell us why she likes him."

"Why don't we start with you, Lucy?" Mira smiled at Lucy.

Lucy sweat dropped. "W-w-well…"

"Yes?" Mira smiled expectantly.

"Gah, alright, fine! I like Natsu!" She blushed and folded her arms across her chest.

"EEHH! Is that true, Lu-chan?" Levy shook her head in disbelief.

"Y-yeah, it is," Lucy blushed even harder.

"And why do you like him?" Cana grinned.

"I-it's because…he always protects me. And I love the way he smiles at me, because it always makes me feel like everything is going to be okay. Just…keep this a secret, alright?!" She pleaded.

"It's a promise," the other mages said solemnly.

"Thank you," the blonde-haired mage breathed a sigh of relief.

Cana turned towards Levy. "It's your turn Levy."

"I-i-it's Gajeel…" She said in a voice barely above a whisper.

"EEEH!" Lucy shrieked.

Levy continued. "I like him because I feel that he wants to protect me. Please, keep it a secret as well!" She begged.

"Of course."

"Thanks!" She smiled.

"Erza-san! Why do you like Zeke-kun?" Levy giggled.

The requip mage blushed. "Well, it's because he always makes me feel at ease. And whenever he senses that I'm feeling down, he'll do anything to make me happy again. I just love absolutely everything about him."

"That's so sweet and romantic of him," Mira giggled.

"What about you, Mira-san? Is there anyone you like in the guild?" Levy asked.

"No," the white-haired mage replied straightforwardly.

"That was quick!" The three other mages exclaimed and sweat dropped.

"What about you, Cana? Oh wait, forget it," Lucy face-palmed.

"Hey! That's not fair! Well, for the record, I usedto like Zeke," she said nonchalantly.

"O-oy! Cana! Are you trying to get us killed?!" Lucy shrieked in pure terror.

"Hey, Erza-san! Cana's just drunk, so she's just spouting nonsense! D-don't listen to her!" Levy was already shaking in fear.

"Oh dear. This is exactly why I told her not to drink tonight," Mira said in concern.

"Oy! I'm not drunk! I perfectly know what I'm saying," Cana argued.

"Oh crap, just shut up Cana! You're not making the situation any better!" Lucy shrieked, feeling more frightened.

"Lucy, Levy, relax! Weren't you listening to Cana? She said, _used _to like," Erza said with deep emphasis on the word 'used.'

"E-eh? Are you sick or something, Erza? Aren't you going to go ballistic?" Lucy was still afraid.

"I am perfectly fine, Lucy. And besides, Cana isn't the type to go stealing other women's boyfriends," Erza said sternly.

"E-heh, I guess you're right," the blonde mage gulped.

"Good. It's getting late, so let's get to bed," the requip mage ordered.

"Y-yes ma'am!" Lucy and Levy squealed.

"Well, that went better than expected," Mira smiled as though their lives weren't in danger a few minutes ago.

_How can she be so carefree as though nothing happened?! _Lucy sweat dropped. She got up and turned off the lights. "Good night, everybody!" She said.

"Good night, Lucy!" The other mage's responded.

"Zeke…be careful out there. I don't know what I would do if you left me, too." Erza muttered before she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

_Zeke…be careful out there. I don't know what I would do if you left me, too. _Zeke snapped his head. He thought he heard Erza's voice. "No, that's not possible. She's back in Magnolia. I might just be hearing things…" He muttered to himself.

A guard saw Zeke snap his head and asked, "Is something the matter, sir?"

"Nah, I'm fine," Zeke answered. The guard nodded and went back to his position.

Things were silent that night, until… "Attack! Enemy attack!" A guard shouted.

The lightning mage immediately went into his fighting stance. He glanced around, and saw the enemies charging in. "Fight back! Protect the castle at all costs!" The guards shouted.

Zeke saw bodies dropping to the ground; some were the guards, and the others were the enemies.

"Lightning Magic: Shock Wave!" A shock wave made of lightning appeared and shocked the enemies, leaving them unconscious.

He looked around warily, expecting more of them to come. Surprisingly, none did. _I've got a bad feeling about this. _He thought.

* * *

"Roar of the Fire Dragon!" Natsu breathed out a blast of fire. This wiped out the remaining enemies.

"That was too easy! What the hell's up with that?! Are they just trying to mess with us?!" Natsu complained.

"Heh, what weaklings. I should've just taken matters into my own hands," a voice said.

Natsu snapped his head, searching for who spoke. "Oy! Come out, now!"

A figure emerged from the darkness. "Hello there. I will be your next opponent. I'm warning you, though, I'm not going down easily like these weaklings," the person snickered.

* * *

"Ice Make: Lance!" Lances made of ice appeared and knocked the last of the enemies unconscious.

"Tsk, the hell was that? I didn't even break a sweat," Gray muttered.

"Oh, don't worry. You'll break a sweat this time," a figure smirked in the darkness.

"Who the hell are you?" the ice mage demanded.

"Now, let's have fun, shall we?" The figure chuckled.

* * *

"Iron Dragon's Sword!" Gajeel's arm transformed into a sword and cuts through the remaining enemies.

"The hell's with these guys? They barely put up a fight!" The iron dragon slayer clucked his tongue.

"If you want a fight, it's a fight you'll get," a figure stood on the roof.

"Hmph, fine by me. I'll beat you up nice and good," the iron dragon slayer smirked.

"Now that's what I like to hear," the figure smirked back.

* * *

The lightning mage heard footsteps and snapped his head. "Who's that?" He shouted into the darkness.

"Your worst nightmare, boy. Now, it's better if you surrender if you don't want to get hurt," a figure emerged from the shadows.

"Never! You'll have to pass through us if you want to get to the king," he said seriously.

"I like your attitude, boy. I guess I'll entertain myself by killing you off slowly," the figure laughed maliciously.

* * *

**A/N: And there's the end of chapter 6! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Feel free to leave a review. Until the next chapter! :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Ta-da! Here's Chapter 7! Just so you guys know, I might not be able to update as quickly as I did with the past 6 chapters, sinc****e I've got my internship going on. Plus, my school's nearly about to start. *Groans* Oh, well. But I'll try to update every 3-4 days. Oh, and thanks for all the reviews, guys! I really appreciate it. So, without further ado, here's Chapter 7!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.**

* * *

"Roar of the Fire Dragon!" Natsu breathed out a blast of fire. This wiped out the remaining enemies.

"That was too easy! What the hell's up with that?! Are they just trying to mess with us?!" Natsu complained.

"Heh, what weaklings. I should've just taken matters into my own hands," a voice said.

Natsu snapped his head, searching for who spoke. "Oy! Come out, now!"

A figure emerged from the darkness. "Hello there. I will be your next opponent. I'm warning you, though, I'm not going down easily like these weaklings," the person snickered.

The figure that emerged was a girl. Her eyes were hazel brown and she has fine, curly, orange hair that is short. She is tall and has an amazonian build. Her skin is cream-colored.

"Who the hell are you?" Natsu practically growled.

"My name is Ada Usiscythe, one of the Elite Three of Night Devils. Be prepared to die," she smirked.

"Heh, too bad. 'Cause I ain't going down that easily!" Natsu shouted and rushed to attack Ada.

"Iron Fist of the Fire Dragon!"

"Wind Magic: Aero Blast!" A blast of air was emitted from the wind mage's hands.

Natsu's flame was put out and he was blown away. "Tch," he clucked his tongue and spit. He rushed back to his enemy and sent punches and kicks, but each time, she would just blow him away.

"What's the matter? I thought you weren't going down that easily?" The wind mage taunted him.

"Don't get too cocky. I was just warming up," the flame mage grinned.

"Ha! Now, let's see what you've-" The wind mage was cut off when the flame mage punched her in the gut, causing her to fly backwards.

"If there's one thing I learned from Erza, it's to never let your guard down when you're in a fight," the fire dragon slayer said proudly.

"Good job, but you won't be able to use the same trick again," the wind mage said.

"We'll see about that," the flame mage cracked his knuckles.

"Wind Magic: Knife Slash!" The wind cut through the fire dragon slayer's arms and legs multiple times.

"Gah!" Natsu shouted, blood spilling out.

"Wind Magic: Whirlwind!" A whirlwind appeared and the flame mage was caught up in it. "AAAAHH!" The flame mage screamed as the whirlwind continued to cut through him. Suddenly, he had an idea. He enveloped his body in flames, and as a result the flames grew larger, letting the whirlwind disappear. Natsu then ate the flames.

"Thanks for the meal!" He grinned.

"What kind of monster are you?!" The wind mage cried out in shock.

"For your information, I am not a monster. I'm a Fire Dragon Slayer and my name's Natsu Dragneel!" He exclaimed.

"Grr! It doesn't matter! I'll still kill you!" She growled. "Wind Magic: Tornado!" A huge tornado appeared and came hurtling toward the flame mage.

_When strong enough, air can blow out flames. But if the flames are stronger, the air will cause the flames to grow larger. If I just concentrate and use a strong flame spell like earlier, I'll be able to dispel the tornado. _Natsu strategized in his mind.

"Well, here goes nothing. Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!" He ignited both his hands and brought them together, creating a large fireball, which he threw at the tornado. Thanks to the flames he ate earlier, his attack grew stronger; and things went exactly according to the flame mage's plan. This left the wind mage completely shocked.

Taking advantage of this, Natsu rushed in to attack. "Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!" His entire body was set ablaze and headbutted the wind mage. The wind mage crashed into a tree, completely unconscious.

"Alright! I beat her up!" Natsu pumped up his fists into the air.

"You were great, Natsu!" Happy grinned at his partner.

"Thanks Happy! I wonder how the others are doing?" The flame mage wondered.

"I'm sure their fine, all mages from are guild are strong!" Happy exclaimed.

"Haha. You're right, partner! We don't need to worry about them," the flame mage grinned at his companion.

"Aye sir!" Happy chirped.

* * *

"Ice Make: Lance!" Lances made of ice appeared and knocked the last of the enemies unconscious.

"Tsk, the hell was that? I didn't even break a sweat," Gray muttered.

"Oh, don't worry. You'll break a sweat this time," a figure smirked in the darkness.

"Who the hell are you?" the ice mage demanded.

"Now, let's have fun, shall we?" The figure chuckled.

A man emerged from the shadows. He has slanted black eyes and spiky green hair. He has a tall and slender build and has brown skin.

"My name is Alvaro Flynn, one of the Elite Three of the Night Devils," the man introduced himself.

"So that means you're one of the strongest guys of your guild, huh?" Gray punched his left palm.

"Yes, now I will crush you," Alvaro said confidently.

"Not before I crush you! Ice Make: Hammer!" A giant hammer made of ice appeared in the ice mage's hands, and he smashed it down his opponent.

"Wood Magic: Terra Basher!" Alvaro raised up his hand a long and huge chunk of wood and smashed the ice mage's weapon.

"Crap!" The ice mage exclaimed as he landed on the ground.

"Wood Magic: Woodbind!" The earth tangled up Gray's legs, leaving him unable to move his feet.

"Ice Make: Freeze!" The ice mage froze the wood and broke it.

"Wood Magic: Wooden Spikes!" Spikes made of wood flashed towards the ice mage.

"Ice Make: Shield!" A shield made of ice protected Gray from the wooden spikes.

"Hmph," the ice mage heard a voice behind him. Before he could react, he was sent flying and crashed into the wall. The ice mage coughed up blood. "Wood Magic: Wooden Mace!" A wooden mace with spikes appeared in the wood mage's hand and used it to strike the ice mage's chest.

"GAAAAHH!" The ice mage screamed in pain; blood flowing from his chest.

"Looks like it's over. You've wasted enough of my time," the wood mage turned around and started to walk away.

"Not… yet…" The ice mage mumbled. He ignored the excruciating pain in his chest and stood up.

"You're quite the stubborn one," the wood mage commented.

Gray ran towards the wood mage and threw a punch. The wood mage stopped his fist and flicked him backwards. The ice mage landed on his feet and lurched forward, aiming to land a kick. The wood mage dodged and kicked the ice mage.

"Wood Magic: Spiked Sword!" He created a spiky wooden sword; then ran towards the ice mage, attempting to land a blow.

"Ice Make: Floor!" The ground turned into ice and the wood mage slipped. Gray leaped into the air, just above the wood mage. "Ice Make: Prison!" A cage made of ice dropped on the wood mage, completely trapping him.

Before the wood mage could make a move to destroy the cage, Gray cast another spell. "Ice Make: Ice Cannon!" A bazooka made of ice appeared in Gray's hands and he fired at the wood mage. The wood mage fell unconscious after getting hit.

Gray sat down, clutching at his bleeding chest.

"Man, that hurts. That guy sure did a number on me," he muttered. He then used his ice magic to freeze the injured part of his chest to stop the bleeding.

"That's better. I wonder how the others are doing," he wondered to himself.

* * *

"Iron Dragon's Sword!" Gajeel's arm transformed into a sword and cut through the remaining enemies.

"The hell's with these guys? They barely put up a fight!" The iron dragon slayer clucked his tongue.

"If you want a fight, it's a fight you'll get," a figure stood on the roof.

"Hmph, fine by me. I'll beat you up nice and good," the iron dragon slayer smirked.

"Now that's what I like to hear," the figure smirked back.

The figure that emerged was a man. He has red eyes and long, spiky brown hair. He has a muscular build and white skin.

"I am Boris Buster, one of the Elite Three of the Night Devils," the muscular man introduced himself.

"Gihi, finally, a challenge," Gajeel cracked his knuckles.

"Iron Dragon's Club!" Gajeel's arm transformed into a large steel club; which extended towards the enemy.

"Piercing Magic: Pierce Strike!" A laser-like beam of light pierced through Gajeel's iron club.

"Ghk!" Gajeel's arm turned back to normal after the attack. He rushed towards the pierce mage and kicked his chest. The pierce mage caught the iron dragon slayer's foot and twisted him around. The iron dragon slayer hit the ground with an audible thud. The pierce mage placed his foot on the iron dragon slayer's chest. "Time to end this. Pierce Magic: Pierce Blaster!" A blast of light emitted from the pierce mage's finger and directed towards the iron dragon slayer's chest.

Fortunately, the iron dragon slayer had activated his Iron Dragon's Scales before the attack hit him; thus rendering the attack useless. "W-what? How could this be?" The pierce mage's eyes widened in shock.

Gajeel took the foot of the pierce mage off his chest and threw Boris. "Good thing I activated my Iron Dragon's Scales right before that hit me. Otherwise, I'd be a goner right now," Gajeel muttered under his breath.

"I'm still here you know!" Boris exclaimed and punched Gajeel. "Ow!" The pierce mage cradled his hand, the pain clear in his eyes.

"Hmm? Did you _actually _try to punch me? I didn't even feel a thing," the iron dragon slayer scoffed. Before Boris could react, Gajeel punched him in the stomach. "Ack!" The pierce mage coughed up blood.

"How boring. And here I thought I'd get to have a little more fun just because you said you were one of the strongest in your guild. Feh. I'll end your misery right now," Gajeel sighed in disappointment. "Iron Dragon's Club!" He hit the pierce mage in the stomach again, effectively knocking him out.

"What a complete waste of time. And you weaklings planned on taking over the castle? Che," Gajeel muttered and sat down. "If they're that weak, I'm pretty sure Natsu and the others beat them up in no time."

* * *

The lightning mage heard footsteps and snapped his head. "Who's that?" He shouted into the darkness.

"Your worst nightmare, boy. Now, it's better if you surrender if you don't want to get hurt," a figure emerged from the shadows.

"Never! You'll have to pass through us if you want to get to the king," he said seriously.

"I like your attitude, boy. I guess I'll entertain myself by killing you off slowly," the figure laughed maliciously and walked towards the lightning mage.

A man appeared from the darkness. He appeared to be in his late fourties. He is slightly tall with an average build. He has pitch black eyes and short brown hair and a moustache.

"Who the hell are you?" The lightning mage growled.

"Quite ferocious, aren't you? I'm getting to that part. I am Elaz, master of the dark guild Night Devils," the man chuckled darkly.

"Isn't it a bit too early for you to appear?" The lightning mage questioned.

"I wanted to have a bit of fun, you see. And I'll have that fun by killing you and the King. I imagine your friends are fighting my three strongest members right now," Elaz massaged his chin.

"Heh, and I'm pretty sure that they'll beat up your members in no time. And I'll beat you up as well," the lightning mage said confidently.

"Such confidence you have. But I wonder, will you really be able to harm me?" Elaz taunted.

"We'll find out the answer to that question right now," the lightning mage said.

"Lightning Magic: Lightning Fist!" Zeke coated his fist in lightning, and rushed in towards Elaz. He was about to punch the man, when…

"Gah!" Zeke shouted as he was pushed back by a magical force.

"Lightning Magic: Lightning Tiger!" A tiger made of lightning rushed towards Ezal, but disappeared right before it could hit Ezal.

Zeke thought that Ezal has a barrier that dispels magic. "So you have a barrier that dispels magic, huh?"

"You're a sharp one, aren't you? But that's not all," Ezal laughed evilly. "Explosive Magic: Detonating Blast!" Something exploded and hit Zeke directly in the chest.

"AAAGH!" Zeke screamed in pain. Wounds now covered his torso, but he still managed to stand up.

_Hmm, he said that his barrier dispels magical attacks, but I wonder if it can block physical attacks as well. _He wondered in his mind. "Well, there's no harm in trying it," the lightning mage said. He teleported behind Elaz and attempted to punch him, but Elaz sensed Zeke's movement and caught his fist. Elaz then threw Zeke into the wall. Zeke felt the impact as his back crashed against the wall and he began coughing up blood.

_Crap, that hurt a lot. But it looks like my theory was right that his barrier is unable to block physical attacks. _Zeke thought. Before he could get the chance to stand up, another explosion hit him. "Ghhhk!" Zeke clutched his stomach in pain. _I have to end this quickly if I don't want my magical power to run out; and I can't afford to get hit by his explosive magic over and over again, otherwise I'll die._

He teleported once more to Ezal and tried to kick him. Before Ezal could grab his foot, Zeke teleported again; this time in front of Ezal and finally managed to land a hard punch on the man.

"Ugh!" The man flinched in pain. Zeke took advantage of this opening and kicked Ezal in the chest. Ezal doubled over in pain.

"It looks like your physical strength is weak, since you can't handle simple punches and kicks," Zeke observed.

"S-screw…you," Ezal muttered under his breath. "But, I still have quite a bit of strength left."

"Explosive Magic: Internal Magic Explosion!" Zeke felt an explosion, but this time, it came from inside him.

"AAAAGGGGHHHH!" The lightning mage screamed in agony as he felt a huge amount of magical power drained from him.

"That's right, scream! You will die soon enough. But I would like to thank you for entertaining me. Now, it's time to kill the King," Ezal laughed evilly.

Zeke felt weak. He thought all hope was lost, until he heard Erza's voice ringing inside his head. _Just promise me you'll be careful, okay? And come back safe to the guild, to me. _He stood back up. "That's right…I have to come back safe to her. I don't want her to suffer again, especially not because of me," he said with determination. Then he looked up at the sky, and he felt the raindrops and saw lightning. "I guess I have no choice…I'll have to use that move to finish things once and for all," he said to himself. He stood up. "Hey! I'm still alive! This isn't over yet!"

Ezal looked furious. "What a persistent boy you are. I'll have to make sure to finish you off this time."

"Heh, I wouldn't be a mage of Fairy Tail if I weren't persistent. Neither one of us gives up; we always fight until the very end. And it's the end for you, Ezal.

"Special Lightning Magic: Heaven's Bolt!" Zeke raised his hand towards the sky and directed the lightning into Ezal.

"AAGGHH!" Ezal screamed as the lightning hit him. Time seemed to slow down as his body dropped to the ground.

"Just in case you ever wondered, I simply usedmagic to _control_ the lightning; I did not use magic to create the lightning, and that's why it worked," Zeke whispered. He tried to stand up, but couldn't because of all the wounds, and nearly all his magical power was drained. He felt his consciousness slowly fading, and dropped to the ground.

* * *

**A/N: And there's the end of Chapter 7! Yes, I know the battle scenes suck, especially Gajeel's. I tried and tried, but I really couldn't think of anything else to make the battle scenes epic. I guess it's just not my forte. But, I still hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a review! Thank you, and see you guys again in the next few days!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I'm back with Chapter 8! Sorry for the wait, a lot's been going on right now. And sorry if a few things in this chapter may seem absurd to some of you, but it was the only way... Nope, not saying anything here to spoil. Hahaha. Anyways, please enjoy the chapter and leave a review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.**

* * *

Natsu, Gray and Gajeel saw the lightning come down towards the earth. "Wasn't that from Zeke's position?" The three mages asked themselves. They ran towards the position Zeke was guarding.

Natsu was the first to arrive, and he saw Zeke lying on the ground, covered in wounds and bruises. "Oy, Zeke! What happened here? Wake up!" Natsu screamed. Gray and Gajeel arrived a few seconds later.

"Natsu! What happened?" Gray asked Natsu. Then the ice mage and the iron dragon slayer saw Zeke's body, lying on the ground.

Gajeel and Gray headed over to where the lightning mage lay down Gray held Zeke's wrist, feeling for a pulse. "He's still alive, but there's barely any magical power left inside of him," the ice mage announced. "We need medical attention, and quick."

"Oy, cat! Go inside the palace and tell them we need a doctor! Tell them that the dark guild's been wiped out, too!" Gajeel ordered Happy.

"Aye, sir!" Happy flew towards the castle.

"Dammit!" Natsu punched the ground hard. "You better wake up, Zeke! Erza's waiting for you back home!"

A few seconds later, the guards arrived along with. "We knocked them all out, just take them in!" Gajeel commanded. "Yes, sir!" The guards saluted.

"Guys! There's a big problem! The doctor's not in! It'll take at least one hour for one to get here!" Happy wailed.

"WHAT?! ZEKE'S IN DANGER HERE! HE COULD DIE ANY MOMENT NOW!" Natsu shouted in fury.

"Calm down, Natsu. Screaming won't make his condition any better," Gray spoke in an attempt to calm down the flame mage.

"But, he could die right now! And it's gonna break Erza's heart all over again!" Natsu continued screaming.

"Oy, Salamander! Cut it out! I'll ask the King for help. You guys carry Zeke back to the castle. I don't think it's a good idea for him to stay out here. You can argue all you want after we make sure he's alright!" Gajeel ordered the two mages.

Natsu took a deep breath and finally calmed down. "You're right. Let's go, Gray." Gray nodded and they began to carry Zeke towards the castle.

Gajeel knocked on the door of the King's throne room. He heard a voice say, "Enter." He opened the door, walked to the King, and bowed. "Stand up, Gajeel," the King requested. Gajeel nodded and stood up.

"Sir, isn't there anyway to help our nakama right now?" Gajeel asked the King.

"He can use teleportation magic, if my memory serves me right?" The King asked Gajeel.

"Yes, he can," Gajeel replied.

"My daughter can copy the magic of anyone she touches. If she touches Zeke, she can use his teleportation magic to bring you back home. I will allow you to use her power as gratitude for saving our castle," the King explained. "Odon, call my daughter and have her go to the Fairy Tail mages right away."

"Yes, Your Highness," Odon bowed and rushed straight away.

"Thank you very much for your kindness, sir," Gajeel bowed.

"It is the least we could do to repay you for your service. It would break my heart if somebody who served me died, may that person be part of our kingdom or not. Now, go," the King dismissed Gajeel.

Gajeel bowed again and took his leave. When he went back to the others, he saw that a girl was already with them.

"You must be the princess," Gajeel bowed.

"Yes, my name is Princess Amelia," the girl replied.

"Thank you very much for your help," Gray bowed in gratitude.

"It is no problem. Now, shall we? I do not think we can afford to waste anymore time," Princess Amelia said. The three mages nodded. She touched Zeke's face and she felt his magic transfer into her. "Now, hold on to me," the Princess requested. "Oh, and only you will be transported back to your home. So do not be surprised if you do not see me there with you." The three mages nodded again and voiced their gratitude. In a flash, they were already in Fairy Tail.

* * *

Erza looked outside the guild's doors, and saw Natsu, Gray, Gajeel, and Zeke. Natsu had lots of cuts on his arms and legs; Gray had a huge and deep cut on his chest; but Gajeel was perfectly fine. She noticed that Natsu and Gray were carrying Zeke. He was unconscious and covered in deep wounds and bruises and was bleeding a lot. The sight of Zeke was too much for Erza to handle.

"What the hell happened?! What happened to Zeke?! Why is he like that?!" Erza shouted. "Answer me!"

"Erza, please calm down!" Lucy held Erza back.

"How the hell am I going to calm down when Zeke's in that state?!" Erza continued to shout.

"Erza! Calm down! Shouting won't make Zeke any better!" The Master ordered Erza. "Jet! Go get Porlyusica and make it quick! Zeke's in danger!" Jet nodded and ran quickly outside of the guild. "Elfman! Grab Zeke and carry him to the infirmary! Natsu, Gray! Head down to the infirmary as well and have your wounds treated! Mirajane! See if you can at least lessen or stop Zeke's bleeding! Gajeel! Come with me!" The Master barked orders one by one.

"You're right Master," Erza calmed down a little. "I'm sorry for shouting at you, Lucy."

Lucy nodded. "It's alright, Erza."

Erza nodded back and followed the mages to the infirmary. Elfman lay Zeke down on one of the beds and Mira started treating Zeke's wounds. Erza sat opposite to Mira and held Zeke's hand. "Zeke, don't you dare die on me! I won't be able to bear it if you left me. So please, just wake up," Erza pleaded and tears started falling from her eyes. "You promised that you wouldn't leave me…that you'd come back safe."

"Erza…" Mira said in a pained voice. "Don't worry. I'll do everything I can to save him."

Erza nodded and wiped her tears. "Yes, I know. Thank you, Mira…"

Moments later, Porlyusica went inside the infirmary. "Filthy humans being such a bother," Porlyusica muttered angrily under her breath. "Who needs my help?!"

"Ah, Porlyusica-san, over here," Mira waved Porlyusica over.

"Now move away so I can examine him!" Porlyusica snapped in a comical manner at Erza and Mira. The two mages obliged and Porlyusica examined Zeke. "He's lost a lot of blood and his breathing is ragged. Not only that, he nearly lost all his magical power. A moment too late, and he could've died."

"Is there any way that we can save him?" Erza asked.

"Yes, I'll go back to my cottage and I'll bring the potion here once I'm done. Most of his wounds were treated well enough by Mira, so he's no longer in danger," Porlyusica explained and walked out.

"I'll work on Natsu and Gray next," Mira stated and headed towards the two mages.

Erza took a chair and sat beside the lightning mage's bed. The lightning mage still looked as though he were in pain, but nonetheless in a much better condition than he was a few minutes back. She cringed at the sight of his wounds. Nearly his whole torso was covered in them. She stroked his hair gently; then leaned in closer to kiss him.

* * *

Zeke felt someone's lips press against his. He opened his eyes to see who it was. "Erza…?" He said softly.

"Zeke?! Thank goodness you're finally awake! I was so damn worried about you!" Erza yelled, and tears fell down her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Erza… Damn, and after I told myself I wouldn't let you cry," he whispered then wiped Erza's tears.

"I was so worried, seeing you unconscious and bleeding heavily. I didn't know what to do," she continued sobbing.

"Erza, I'm so, so, sorry…" He whispered in a pained voice.

"Please, don't ever do that again to me! I don't want to lose you, Zeke," she begged.

"Erza…" He whispered in a broken voice as she continued to sob into his chest.

"Zeke… I love you so much. I don't think I'll be able to live if you left me," Erza said in between sobs.

Zeke felt broken, because he knew that he was the reason she was in so much pain right now. He felt guilty. He promised himself that he would do anything not to see her that way again. But right now, he was the reason for her sadness. He was at a complete loss for words.

Noting his lack of response, Erza raised her head from his chest and looked into his eyes. She saw pain, sadness, and guilt. She saw that he felt completely broken. She held his face gently with her hands. "Zeke…" She whispered. Hearing her say his name, he snapped out of his thoughts. He looked down, not wanting to look at her. "I'm really sorry for hurting you the way I'm doing right now, Erza. And after I promised that I wouldn't do anything to hurt you…" He said slowly and painfully.

"Zeke, look at me," Erza said harshly. "You're alive, and that's all that matters. You kept your promise that you'd come back to me alive."

"Barely alive, that is," he laughed hollowly without any hint of humor. Suddenly, she slapped him. Shocked, he held the part of his face that she slapped. "Just listen to yourself! You're alive right now, and that's all that matters to me! I know you feel guilty about making me worried sick and hurting me. And I CAN and WILL forgive you for that. You may not have kept your promise to yourself that you'd never hurt me, but you DID keep your promise that you'd come back to me alive! It would hurt me a hell lot more if you died out there!" She yelled at him.

He flinched at her words, but he knew that she was right. He would never, ever forgive himself if he died out there, leaving her alone all over again. "You're right. I'm really sorry for saying such things. I never should have said that," he apologized sincerely in a pained voice.

"You're forgiven. Just forgive yourself, Zeke. I don't want to see you beating yourself up over this," she pleaded.

"I know. And I'm really sorry, Erza," he said as he held her face and looked into her eyes. "It's alright, really," she smiled.

"I really love you," he whispered in a loving tone.

"I know. And, I really love you, too," she whispered back and kissed him. He kissed her back. Suddenly, a voice interrupted them. "Now, are you two done getting all lovey-dovey? You humans really make me sick!" Porlyusica scoffed. The two mages just laughed. "Now you, move over so I can administer the potion!" Porlyusica barked at Erza. Erza moved back and allowed the healing mage some space.

"Now, drink this!" The healing mage commanded Zeke. Zeke obliged and drank the potion. "Go get your rest! I don't want you bothering me for a while!" The healing mage commanded Zeke before she left.

Zeke laughed. "I nearly forgot just how tough she could be."

"Now, go get some rest. I wouldn't want your wounds opening up again," Erza said sternly.

"Sure, but before that…" He crushed his lips into hers. Erza's eyes widened in shock, but kissed him back. "That was revenge for last time." Erza laughed and pushed him back gently into the bed. "Now, rest," she repeated.

"Gotcha," he replied and went to sleep, the exhaustion kicking into him again. Erza smiled as she watched over him.

"Erza, my child?" Erza turned around when she heard her name. "Oh, it's you, Master," Erza said.

"Is Zeke alright?" The Master asked. Erza nodded.

"That's good. I do not like seeing one of my children in pain," the Master smiled, feeling relieved.

Erza smiled back. "I feel relieved, as well. I am sorry for my actions earlier, Master," Erza stood up and bowed.

"No, it is quite alright. I know how much you love him, and it is only natural to act that way," Master Makarov nodded understandingly.

"Thank you, Master," Erza said gratefully.

"No worries, my child. Now, I'll be taking my leave. I just wanted to check up on Zeke," the Master waved and left.

When the master left, Erza sat back down and stroked Zeke's hair. She kissed his forehead, remembering the time he kissed hers the time he carried her back to her dorm. She smiled at the memory. "Rest well, Zeke."

* * *

**A/N: There's the end of Chapter 8! So, continuing my sentence from the author's note above... Sorry if a few things seemed absurd, but it was the only way I can think of to make Erza react that way. I had to let her see the state Zeke was in for her to react like that. So, yeah. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and see you again in the next! :D**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Here's Chapter 9! It's actually 11 PM here in the Philippines and I just finished writing this chapter. I just wanted to upload it before I go to sleep. I hope you guys enjoy this Chapter and please leave a review! Thank you!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.**

* * *

After being knocked out for three days, Zeke finally woke up and it was already afternoon by that time. He felt someone watching him and looked to his left. There, he saw the scarlet-haired beauty, Erza. "Hey, Erza," he smiled. "Good afternoon, Zeke," she replied. _Afternoon? How long have I been knocked out? _He thought in confusion. As though she read his mind, she said, "You've been asleep for three days now."

"Really? Damn, I must have drained more magical power that I thought," he muttered to himself.

"Are you feeling okay now?" Erza asked.

He stretched and answered, "Yeah, I feel fine now."

"Good. Now let's go get you something to eat." She said and kissed him briefly. He nodded and got up. They went out together and sat down.

"Hey, Zeke! You're awake! Now, fight me!" Natsu shouted as he ran towards Zeke, but stopped due to the glare Erza threw him. "He just woke up, Natsu. Go. Back. Now." She commanded in a threatening voice. Natsu gulped and squeaked. "A-aye!"

"Oh, Zeke. You're awake already?" Mira smiled.

"Yeah, I've recovered most of my strength," Zeke smiled back. "I'll have beef barbeque."

"Sure, I'll be right there in a moment," Mira answered in a singsong voice.

"So, you've been sleeping in the infirmary since I arrived?" Zeke asked Erza.

"Yes. Why, do you have any problems with that?" Erza asked in a scary manner.

"Eh, ah, no, of course not. Ahaha…" Zeke sweat dropped.

Mira arrived at their table and placed Zeke's food on the table.

"Thanks, Mira!" Zeke grinned.

"No problem. Oh, and after you're done, I'm going to take off your bandages and check your wounds, okay?" Mira said sweetly.

"Got it," Zeke replied. He began eating and talked to his girlfriend as he ate.

"By the way, what happened to you? Why were you beaten up badly?" Erza questioned.

"I fought the master of the Night Devils and he had this barrier that dispels any form of magical attacks. He used Explosion Magic on me, and I got a lot of wounds. As for my magical power…well, he used his magic inside of my body and caused my magical power to drain a lot. I actually thought that that was it for me, but it suddenly rained. I had no choice left so I used _that _magic. It worked, and I beat him. But, I fell unconscious afterwards," Zeke explained.

Erza was shocked because he's never been pushed that far in all the S-Class Jobs they went together. Sure, he got a few wounds now and then, but this was the worst state she's ever seen him in.

"But, I told myself that I couldn't die there. I promised you that I'd come back alive, so I used that as my strength," he finished.

"Thank you for coming back alive, Zeke," Erza smiled.

"I promised you. And I didn't want to be the reason for your heartbreak all over again," he said seriously.

Erza felt happy, having Zeke love her so much. A few minutes later, they finished eating. Zeke stood up. "Hey, Mira. I'm heading to the infirmary now."

"Okay, I'll be there shortly. You can take off your bandages while waiting," Mira smiled.

"Alright," he smiled back. Erza followed him into the infirmary. He sat down on a bed and began taking off his bandages, but Erza interrupted him. "I'll take them off for you," she said. "Thanks, Erza." He said with a smile. She smiled back and carefully took of his bandages. After she finished, she looked at his torso. His wounds have nearly completely closed up, but looked like they'll leave scars. She frowned at this.

"Huh, what's up, Erza? Why are you frowning?" Zeke asked quizzically.

"You're wounds have closed up pretty nicely, but they'll be leaving scars," Erza said, still frowning.

"It's just a couple of scars, it's no big deal." He said while shrugging it off.

Erza smiled at his positive outlook. "You're really a positive thinker, aren't you?"

"Haha, yeah. A couple of scars are nothing. Like you said, I'm still alive and that's what matters," he laughed.

"You're right," Erza agreed.

"Oh, and thanks for watching over me while I was unconscious," he smiled gratefully.

Erza smiled back. "Well, I am your girlfriend after all, aren't I?"

"Hahaha, you're right," he laughed again. Then he held her face and kissed her gently. She kissed him back. They were interrupted by the sound of someone giggling. "You guys are so sweet, aren't you?" They turned around and saw Mira, looking at them. "How long have you been there?" Zeke asked.

"Long enough to see you two kissing. Although, I guess I interrupted you," Mira winked. Zeke blushed a little at her statement.

Mira walked towards Zeke and sat in front of him. "I'll check your wounds now, 'kay?" She smiled sweetly and examined his torso. "Well, they've closed up pretty nicely, but just to play it safe I'll put on some healing cream on your wounds." She then proceeded to get the cream and began applying it on his wounds, but was stopped by Erza.

"Thank you for examining him, Mira. But I'll put on the cream on his wounds," Erza said curtly. Mira sensed that the scarlet-haired mage was feeling jealous and giggled at this fact. "Sure, Erza. I'll be going back to the bar now." She turned around to leave. "Oh, I almost forgot. You won't need to wear bandages anymore after this," she told Zeke. "Got it. Thanks again, Mira," the lightning mage grinned.

After Mira left, Erza began applying the cream on Zeke's wounds. She felt his abs and chest as she put on the cream, and blushed slightly. They felt hard and strong to her touch. After a few more moments, she finished applying the cream. "There, it's done," she said as she smiled at Zeke. "Thanks, Erza," he smiled back and pulled her closer to him. Erza blushed at the gesture. They kissed passionately for a few minutes, and stopped to breathe in air. Erza buried her head in his chest, taking in his heartbeat. Zeke held her close and buried his face into her hair, taking in her strawberry scent.

"You've always smelled so nice, you know?" He whispered into her ear. Erza blushed madly at his comment, thankful that her head was on his chest so he couldn't see her face.

"What do I smell like?" She asked quietly.

"You smell like strawberries," he answered.

"Do you like it?" She murmured.

"Yes. I love absolutely everything about you, Erza," he whispered.

"I love everything about you as well, Zeke," she replied.

He smiled at her answer. "Well, we should get going. Who knows what things Mira will tell the guild if we stay here too long."

Erza laughed at his statement. "You're right. Plus, you need to wear a shirt," she said while pointing at his bare chest.

He raised his eyebrow playfully and said, "Why? You don't like me like this?"

Erza blushed but hid it and slapped his arm playfully. "I'm serious. Now go get a shirt or something."

Zeke grinned. "Alright, fine. I'll be back in a flash." He used his teleportation magic before the requip mage could open her mouth to protest.

"Seriously, he just rested up and now he's using magic right away," she muttered to herself. She went back into the guild to wait for him. Sure enough, just a few minutes later, he appeared in front of her. He was wearing a dark yellow v-neck shirt and a black jacket with a yellow lightning emblazoned at the back with his usual pants and shoes.

"I told you I'd be back right away," he grinned.

Erza raised her eyebrows, saying nothing. Zeke could sense something was wrong. "Hey, Erza? What's wrong?" He asked a little nervously. She sighed and said, "You just recovered, Zeke. And now, you're using magic right away."

"You don't have to worry. I've recovered most of my strength anyway," he reassured her.

Erza shook her head. "Fine."

"C'mon, don't be mad. I'm really feeling a hundred percent now."

Erza knew she couldn't stay angry with her boyfriend for too long, so she decided to forgive him. "Alright. But just don't push yourself too hard for a while," she warned him.

He put up his hands in surrender. "Got it."

Mira approached the couple and handed them what looked like tickets. "Zeke, Erza, the Master asked me to give these to you."

Erza looked puzzled. "What are these?"

"The King of Mirahar asked the Master to give these to both of you as an apology to what happened to Zeke at the castle," Mira explained.

Zeke shook his head. "He's really feeling guilty about that? None of it's his fault."

"And why did he give two tickets?" Erza asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, it turns out that the Master told the King that Zeke has a relationship with you," Mira answered Erza.

Erza put two and two together. "So, he decided to give two so that I can come with Zeke?"

"That seems to be the case," Mira smiled.

Erza nodded. "Thank you, Mira."

"Tell Master to tell the King we said thanks," Zeke added.

"Okay!" Mira giggled and walked off.

Erza examined the tickets. "These are tickets for a three-day stay at Kanabe Resort."

Zeke considered the offer. "Three days? I guess we could have a short vacation there."

"Yes, it would be a waste to throw away the King's act of kindness," Erza agreed.

"When do you want to leave?" Zeke asked.

"How about tomorrow morning?" Erza suggested.

"That's enough time for me to get ready and get some more rest," the lightning mage agreed.

"Okay," the requip mage smiled.

"I guess I should go get ready now," he said while poised to use his teleportation magic. Erza scowled at him and he noticed this. "Err, I'll just walk back home," he said sheepishly. She smiled and said, "I'll go with you." They stood up and the requip mage looped her arm around his. They went out the guild and started walking towards the lightning mage's home.

* * *

A few minutes into their walk, girls started flocking towards the lightning mage, completely oblivious to the scarlet-haired mage walking with him. A barrage of questions ensued from the girls' mouths.

"Zeke, are you okay now?"

"I heard you got injured badly during your last mission. Are you feeling alright?"

"Will you be my boyfriend?"

"Go on a date with me, Zeke!"

"Is that a new shirt you're wearing? You look so hot in that!"

"You look handsome today, Zeke, like always!"

"I like your new jacket. It suits you so well!"

Tick marks appeared above Erza's head and a demonic aura appeared around her. She had requipped into her Heaven's Wheel Armor and pointed the blades at the girls surrounding her boyfriend. "I am his girlfriend. Now, stay away from him if you value your lives," she snarled at them.

The girls gulped and ran for their lives, not wanting to anger the Titania further.

"It's good that they have enough sense to run away from me," Erza smirked.

"You sure got them good." He laughed.

"They should know not to flirt with someone's boyfriend," she scowled.

"Don't let them get to you. They're not worth the trouble," he told her.

"I suppose you're right," she smiled.

"Now, let's go," he said as they continued walking. They arrived and he unlocked the door. "You can sit on the couch while I get my stuff ready," Zeke told Erza. "I'll help you," Erza offered. Zeke rejected the offer. "Nah, it's fine. It won't take long, anyways." Erza nodded and sat on the couch.

Now that she thinks of it, it's her second time being inside Zeke's house. She suddenly remembered the conversation she had with Cana and the others at the guild when they found out she slept at Zeke's house. _Ooohh, so what exactly did you two do in his house last night? _Cana's voice resounded in her head. The pieces suddenly clicked together in her head. The alcoholic thought that they did _that _in his house. She blushed and looked at Zeke. This made her blush even harder. "Damn Cana." She muttered angrily to herself.

Zeke sat beside her and said, "I'm done packing up my stuff. Why don't you get yours ready, too?"

Erza jumped slightly in surprise and forced the thoughts away from her head. They hadn't done _it _anyway, so she shouldn't get all flustered about it. "Sure, let's go," she tried to smile naturally. He noticed her discomfort and frowned. "You okay? It seems like you feel a little jumpy."

_Seriously, damn that drunkard woman. I'm going to give her a piece of my mind once we get back. _Erza thought angrily. She smiled more convincingly, "It's nothing. I'm fine really."

"Well, if you say so," the lightning mage shrugged.

The two left the house and held hands all the way to the requip mage's dorm. "Guys aren't allowed in here, right?" Zeke asked. "Guests invited by the residents are allowed to come in, be they boys or girls," Erza explained as they walked towards her room. She unlocked the door and invited her boyfriend inside. It was his second time in her room, but hadn't gotten a good look the first time since he just dropped her off to bed. Well, _room _was an understatement, since there were actually five rooms, four of them filled with Erza's armors, the fifth being her bedroom. There was a small bathroom and a kitchen, as well.

"I don't have a couch, so you can sit on the bed while waiting," Erza pointed to her bed. "Oh and I'll cook dinner for the two of us tonight," she added while smiling.

Zeke smiled back, "Sure, take your time." He watched as his girlfriend moved about the room, getting her things ready. Though she always had her armor on all the time before and walked a bit heavily, right now, she moved gracefully; something other people wouldn't expect of the strongest woman of Fairy Tail. It was a side that only Zeke could see. The way she smiled softly at him, the way she held his hand, the way she kissed him, her soft, caring, and loving side, her jealous fit: the sides only he could see. To him, she is the most beautiful and caring woman in the world. He smiled to himself, his feelings for her growing stronger with each day that passes by.

After a few moments, Zeke heard Erza call out to him. "I'm done packing up my stuff, I'll go cook our dinner now."

"I'll help you," Zeke offered and stood up.

"No, I want what I cook to be a surprise. I'll call you when it's done." Erza declined.

"Okay." He answered and sat back down on her bed.

* * *

After an hour, the food was ready, and Erza called Zeke again. "Zeke, dinner's done. Come over here to the kitchen." Zeke got up and went to the kitchen. He could smell something heavenly and he saw Erza setting up the table. She had requipped into a black tank top, blue shorts, and a white apron. Erza looked up and smiled. "I made your favorite, beef curry." Zeke grinned. "Thanks, Erza!" Then he gave her a peck on the cheek. Erza blushed. It made her think that they were a married couple, and she loved that idea. Zeke took off his jacket before sitting down, and the two of them began to eat.

"You're cooking tastes awesome, it's way better than Mira's," Zeke praised his girlfriend's cooking.

"Are you trying to flatter me again?" She said while raising her eyebrows.

"I'm telling you the truth, really," he said as he raised his hands up.

She chuckled. "I know, I was just teasing you."

"Thanks for cooking for me," he said gratefully.

"Anytime. And you're the only one I'd cook for, just so you know," she smiled.

"I feel sorry for the guys out there who'll never get a taste of the beautiful Titania's cooking."

"Hah, they can get jealous and beg all they want, but I'll only do it for you." She smirked.

"I'm happy to know that." He grinned and the two of them continued eating. After finishing, Erza began clearing the table. "Here, let me help you," Zeke stood up and helped her clear the table and wash the dishes. After they finished, Erza requipped back into her normal sleeveless white blouse and blue skirt and they lay down on her bed. Erza cuddled up to Zeke and he wrapped both his arms around her. "That was the best dinner I ever had," he whispered into her ear. His warm breath tickled her ear slightly and she smiled. "Did you love it?" She asked. "Of course, why wouldn't I?" He chuckled. He lifted up her chin and kissed her gently. Afterwards, she snuggled closer to him and sighed contentedly. She was already feeling a little sleepy and the lightning mage could sense this. "Do you want to go to sleep now?"

"Mm-hmm," she muttered and quickly requipped into her pajamas, then closed her eyes. He smiled softly while looking at her sleeping face. He then got up, kissed her forehead, and whispered, "Good night, Erza. I love you." He went back to the kitchen, grabbed his jacket and left for his house.

* * *

**A/N: And there's the end of Chapter 9! I've really got nothing to say, so, yeah. See you guys again in the next chapter and don't forget to leave a review! Thanks! :D**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Here's Chapter 10! Another a bit of a little update, I know. Again. *Sighs* It's literally the last day of my vacation and my school starts tomorrow. I'm officially a third year college student. :D Anyway, thanks for all the reviews you guys have been leaving me. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and please leave a review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.**

* * *

Morning came and Erza woke up. She muttered, "Zeke…" as she felt for him on her bed. He wasn't there, so she checked her bedside table for a note, but found none. She frowned, feeling a little disappointed that he left her. She sighed and made breakfast. After she ate, she heard someone knock on her door. She opened it and saw Mira standing outside.

"Good morning, Erza," Mira smiled sweetly.

Erza nodded and answered, "Good morning, Mira. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I just came to tell you that Zeke is waiting for you inside the lobby," Mira explained.

Erza remembered that they were supposed to leave this morning. She answered politely, "I see. Thank you, Mira."

Mira smiled and said, "Have a good vacation." Then she turned around and left.

The requip mage took a quick shower, requipped into her white blouse and blue skirt, grabbed her things, and headed to the lobby. As she entered the lobby, she saw her boyfriend sitting on the couch. Upon seeing her, he went towards her and kissed her lightly on the lips.

"Good morning, Erza," he said as he smiled softly. The disappointment she felt earlier was washed away as soon as he kissed her. "Good morning to you, too, Zeke," she smiled back. He held her hand and they began walking to the station. They boarded the train and sat in their assigned seats. The train ride to Kanabe Resort takes one day. They spent the train ride talking, cuddling, and kissing each other. They also had their lunch and dinner on the train and they slept with their arms wrapped around each other.

* * *

The train stopped and Zeke stirred from his sleep. "Hmm. That must mean we've arrived…" He muttered to himself. He looked at Erza and saw that she was still asleep. He shook her gently and said, "Wake up, Erza. We're here."

Erza woke up and suddenly kissed him. "Well, good morning to you, too," he chuckled. He held her hand and slowly helped her up to her feet. They grabbed their things and headed for the hotel. They went to the concierge to confirm their reservation.

"Good morning, ma'am, sir. How may I help you?" A lady asked them with a smile.

"We have a reservation for two here. May we know our room?" The lightning mage asked.

"Yes, of course. What are your names?"

"Zeke Bolton and Erza Scarlet."

Erza noticed the lady smile even more sweetly at Zeke when the lady heard their names. She suddenly had the urge to brandish a sword at the lady, but decided against it, as she didn't want to ruin the vacation she has with her boyfriend. She smirked to herself at this thought.

"Your room assignment is 143, sir Zeke. Here is the key to your room," the lady said as she handed the key to the lightning mage. The lady's hand lingered on Zeke's a bit too long, but the lightning mage noticed this and pulled his hand away quickly. The lady looked embarrassed and Erza's smirk grew wider. _It's too bad for you that my boyfriend's not a dense idiot. _She thought. "C'mon, Erza," Zeke said as he grabbed her hand.

They walked through the halls of the hotel, looking for their room. "143, 143, 143… Oh, there it is." Zeke stated as he stopped in front of their room. He unlocked the door and the couple looked inside. The room was huge, with a king-sized bed, a couch, a television lacrima, a bathroom, a dining table, and a kitchen. There was also a closet for their clothes.

"Should we unpack now?" Zeke asked the requip mage.

"Yes, let's," the requip mage answered.

The couple unpacked their things and placed their clothes inside the closet. Afterwards, they flopped onto the couch. "Whew, that was one long train ride," the lightning mage said exhaustedly to the requip mage. "Do you want to rest up for a bit?"

"Yes, a little rest sounds good."

"Great. What do you want to do afterwards?"

"I heard that there's a nice restaurant nearby. We could have our lunch there."

"That sounds great. We'll leave in a couple of hours."

Erza leaned her head against Zeke's chest and snuggled to him. He tilted her head and kissed her sweetly, tasting her strawberry lips. "Mmm," she moaned contentedly and leaned back into his chest. He smiled and ran his hand through her beautiful scarlet hair.

* * *

After resting until noon, they got ready to leave. He locked the door and they left the hotel, searching for the restaurant. After a few minutes, they found the restaurant. It was named Al Fresco. A waiter greeted them as they entered. "Good afternoon, ma'am, sir," he bowed. "We'd like a table for two, please," Zeke requested. "Yes, please follow me," the waiter said as he walked. The couple followed and was led into a table at the corner of the restaurant.

"Here are your menus, just call for me once you are ready to order. My name is Marco, by the way," the waiter said as he winked at Erza. She raised her eyebrows and stared hard at the waiter, clearly not looking amused while Zeke shot a glare. The waiter pretended not to notice this and walked away.

"Damn waiter and his damn flirting," the lightning mage muttered angrily under his breath. Erza placed her hand on his and said, "Don't get yourself worked up about it. He's not worth your anger."

He took a deep breath and calmed down. "You're right. But if he - no wait, scratch that, if _any _guy tries to lay a single finger on you, I _will _beat them up."

Erza chuckled at her boyfriend's statement and said, "I won't stop you from doing that."

He grinned. "Now, let's order."

After deciding on their orders, they called Marco.

"Erza I have a plan," Zeke said with a smirk.

"What is it?" Erza asked curiously.

"Once he arrives at our table, let's kiss. Maybe that'll stop him from trying to flirt with you," he grinned mischievously.

Erza smirked. "That sounds like a good idea."

Marco arrived at their table, and right on cue, Zeke cupped Erza's face and kissed her gently. After five seconds, they broke the kiss and Zeke smirked to himself.

"Oh, Marco, you're already here," Erza said, acting innocently.

"Er, uh, y-yes," the waiter stuttered. "What will be your orders?"

"I'll have carbonara and three slices of cheese pizza," Zeke said casually.

"I'll have spaghetti with meatballs and a slice of strawberry cake," Erza added.

"Okay. I'll be back shortly with your orders," Marco said and walked away without any more attempts to flirt with Erza.

"It looks like it worked," Zeke grinned. Erza chuckled, "And what would you have done if he still tried to flirt with me?" Zeke put on a poker face and said, "I'd have punched him across the room." Erza laughed, thinking her boyfriend was cute when he got jealous. Zeke laughed along with her.

After twenty minutes, Marco arrived with their order. "Here are your orders, ma'am, sir," he said politely.

"Thank you," the couple said at the same time. Marco bowed and left the two to eat.

The two mages took their time eating and enjoyed their meal.

"So, what do you want to do after this?" Zeke asked his girlfriend while eating his pizza.

Erza had begun eating her cake and suggested, "We could go for a swim in the ocean."

"Sure, that's fine with me," Zeke answered with a smile.

They finished eating and called back Marco to pay for their order. "It will be 10,000 Jewel, sir," the waiter said. Zeke pulled out his wallet and the requip mage tried to convince her boyfriend that they will split the bill. The lightning mage rejected the offer fervently, saying, "It's only right for the guy to pay when he has a date with his girlfriend." The requip mage just smiled at his remark, then he handed the money to the waiter. "Thank you for eating here, ma'am and sir. Please feel free to come back anytime," Marco bowed. The couple voiced their thanks and headed back to the hotel. On the way to their room, a man and a woman passed by them and the two mages heard the conversation.

"I heard that there's going to be a ball later tonight here at the hotel," the man said.

"Oh, is that so? Is everyone staying in the hotel invited?" The woman asked.

"Yeah. I heard that they do this every year during this time."

"Maybe it'll be fun. Let's join!"

The voices of the two people faded into the distance and an idea popped into Erza's head.

"Did you hear the conversation of those two?" She asked her boyfriend.

"Oh, yeah. Why, do you want to go?" He asked her in reply.

"Yes, we don't have any plans for tonight yet, anyway."

"There's just one tiny problem, though. I didn't bring something to wear for this kind of event."

"Maybe there's a store nearby that sells suits here. Then we could go and buy you one before we go get changed."

"Sounds like a good idea. Let's ask the lady in the lobby."

They headed to the lobby and found the lady that gave them the key to their room earlier. The lady saw them approaching, then she smiled sweetly and asked, "Is there anything I can do for you?"

Zeke answered, "Yes, I heard that there's going to be a ball tonight here at the hotel, and we were wondering if there's a store nearby that sells formal clothes for men?"

"Ah, yes. We have our own store here inside the hotel. From here, you just walk straight and turn left. You can see the store immediately," the lady said as she pointed out the directions.

"Thank you for your help," Erza said politely.

"You're welcome," the lady said as she smiled.

They headed towards the direction that the lady pointed and immediately saw the store that she mentioned. They went in and saw different kinds of formal wear for men. "What do you think I should wear?" Zeke asked Erza. She looked at him and thought of a suggestion. She suggested, "Why don't you wear a black suit? Since you always wear something black and I think it suits you." He smiled and said, "Thanks for the suggestion."

He grabbed a white polo, a yellow necktie, a pair of black leather shoes and the black suit. He went into the changing room and changed into his newly picked clothes. He went out and asked his girlfriend, "How does it look?" She smiled widely, grabbed him by the necktie and pulled him closer. "You look absolutely handsome," she purred then kissed him. "Heh, heh," he chuckled throatily as they pulled apart. "Now, go change back so we can pay for your suit," she said as she slapped his chest lightly. He had a huge grin on his face as he changed back into his normal clothes.

They had his clothes and shoes wrapped neatly as they paid for them. "That will be 30,000 Jewel, sir," the cashier said. Zeke pulled out his wallet and paid for the clothes. "Thank you for shopping here," the saleslady said as she bowed. The couple smiled back and headed back to their room to get changed.

* * *

Zeke wore a pair of black swimming trunks with a yellow lightning design on the right half while Erza requipped into her black bikini. The requip mage happened to land her eyes on the half-naked body of her boyfriend, and she could clearly see his scars. She didn't know why, but she found that the scars had made his body more appealing. He has a well-toned body and strong muscles and abs. She blushed and turned her eyes away.

Zeke grabbed towels, an umbrella, and sunblock lotion for Erza. He cast his gaze on his girlfriend and saw that she looked absolutely gorgeous in her swimwear. Sure, she _always _looked gorgeous to him, but this was a different case. Her beautiful scarlet hair flowed down past her waist, and he saw her beautiful body. He pushed those thoughts away from him, and asked, "You ready to go?" Erza turned to face him and smiled, "Yes, I'm ready." She looped her arm around his, and she felt his firm, warm skin, while he felt her bare, soft skin. He loved the feel of her skin against his; it felt so natural. "Let's go," he said and smiled softly at her.

They exited the hotel and headed towards the ocean, and Erza could see a lot of girls gawking at Zeke with heart-shaped eyes, which made her grip him tighter and pull him closer to her. Zeke also noticed a lot of guys staring at Erza. He even noticed that some were already having nosebleeds, so he shot glares at each of them.

_I won't allow anybody to lay a single finger on her. _He thought with determination.

_If anybody tries to come near him or flirt with him, I _will _kill them. _She thought.

They found an empty spot and Zeke laid down the towels and put up the umbrella. "Here's the sunblock," he said as he tossed the bottle towards Erza and she caught it. She smiled. "Thank you, Zeke." Then she began putting on sunblock on her body. She couldn't reach her back, so she asked Zeke for help. "Zeke, can you help me put this on my back?"

He smiled. "Sure." She lay face down on the towel and unlocked her bikini bra and he began putting on the lotion on her back. She felt his strong hands against her back, and she blushed. "There, it's done," she heard him say. "Thank you," she said as she smiled sweetly then strapped back her bra. She could feel the girls' jealous stares at her and she smirked.

He helped her up and they began trekking towards the ocean. Again, Zeke could see the perverted stares the men were giving his girlfriend, so he pulled her close and kissed her passionately. Erza could again feel the jealous stares of the girls around her, so she wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. They pulled apart and panted, gasping for air. "That'll show them that you're my girlfriend," Zeke muttered. Erza smiled, thinking once again how cute her boyfriend was when he got jealous. "And that'll teach the girls not to mess around with my boyfriend," she remarked. Zeke laughed, "Now, let's go for a swim."

The couple had fun swimming and splashing each other with water in the ocean. After a few hours of having fun in the ocean, they noticed that the sky was getting dark so they decided to stop and get ready for the ball. They dried themselves up with the towels they brought and went back into their room. "Is it alright if I shower first?" Erza asked her boyfriend. Zeke nodded and said, "Sure, go right ahead." Zeke sat down on the couch as he waited for Erza to finish her shower. After nearly thirty minutes, Erza appeared outside of the bathroom wrapped in a towel and was beginning to dry her hair. "Your turn," she said as she smiled at Zeke. He said nothing and gawked at her. She looked at him in concern, and asked, "Are you okay, Zeke?" Finally, he snapped out of it and responded, "Yeah, I'm fine." Then he added, "I'm gonna go shower now." Erza nodded and sat down on the bed.

She finished drying her hair off and put on a pair of silver earrings shaped like stars. Then, she requipped into a sleeveless black dress with a slit that showed her left leg. She tied her hair in a bun and let a few strands of her beautiful scarlet hair fall along the sides of her face. She looked in a mirror and smiled to herself. "Perfect…" She murmured.

Just as she finished preparing, Zeke came out of the shower. He saw his girlfriend in front of the mirror and saw how she looked so perfectly beautiful. He could do nothing but stare at her, completely speechless. Erza turned around and saw her boyfriend staring at her. "Cat got your tongue?" She teased. "You look absolutely _perfect,_" he said in a voice barely above a whisper. She blushed and said, "Thank you." Then she pointed out to his body and said sternly, "Now, go get changed or we'll be late." He smiled sheepishly and changed into his suit. "You look absolutely perfect, as well," she said as she smiled. He kissed her deeply and whispered, "Thank you," into her ear. She giggled, which was highly unusual of her and it was his first time hearing her giggle. "Did you just _giggle, _Erza?" He asked while raising his eyebrows playfully. _Cute. _He thought. She answered his question with a glare and he gulped. "S-sorry," he said fearfully. She nodded and said, "You're forgiven." He sweat dropped and offered his arm out to her. She took it and they walked towards the lobby of the hotel.

* * *

**A/N: And there's the end of Chapter 10! I added parts in this chapter that made Zeke jealous since it's always Erza who has been feeling jealous in the previous chapter. Hehehe. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and see you guys in the next one!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Here's Chapter 11! My school officially started this Wednesday, and even though it's only the first week, I'm already feeling a little stressed. *Sighs* Well, I guess that's to be expected, since I'm already in my third year of college. But I'm not here to post my rants, so let's get on with the chapter! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and please leave a review! Thank you! :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the song that I used in this chapter. The song is entitled, "Love That You've Been Looking For" by 98 Degrees and it belongs to them, nor do I own Fairy Tail; Hiro Mashima does.**

* * *

They arrived at the lobby and saw it completely transformed. There were tables and chairs, a large buffet at the side, and a completely polished and shiny floor for the dancing that was about to happen. A few minutes later, a man in a white suit stood in the middle of the dance floor. "Hello, dear guests of Kanabe Hotel. As you all know, we have a ball this evening. In a few moments, music will start playing and you may begin dancing with your partners. We also have a buffet at the right side of the dance floor, and you can eat when you feel hungry. You may leave the dance floor at anytime when you are feeling tired. That is all, and I hope you enjoy your evening," the man said as he smiled, then left the dance floor.

A few moments later, slow music started playing and Zeke asked Erza to dance. "Would you like to dance?" He asked as he reached out his right hand to her. "I would love to," she said with a smile and took his hand.

The song began and they started dancing.

**Lonely, that's not how we're meant to be**

**But looking in your eyes I see**

**A heart that was abandoned**

**By a world that used to show you love…**

Zeke remembered the times Erza cried when Jellal cried and he felt his chest tighten; and she remembered feeling all alone and abandoned when the man she used to love, died.

**You feel like you're the only one **

**Whose day begins without the sun**

**You're left to turn and face it all alone**

He remembered seeing her alone most of the time, as though there was no sun in her life; she felt as though she had to bear her pain all alone, as though she could never love again.

**Well I know sometimes it seems as if**

**Fate has done you wrong**

**But if you look inside your heart **

**You'll find the strength to carry on**

She felt as though fate has done her wrong when he died in her arms, but because of Zeke always being there for her, she found the strength to move on.

**You've got to leave it all behind you**

**Break through those lonely chains that bind you**

'**Cause love's not far away, it's gonna find your heart someday**

**And when you feel its warmth surround you**

**You'll realize that love has found you**

**So turn away your fears**

'**Cause the love that you've been looking for is here**

He did everything he can to help her break free from the chains of loneliness that bound her from his death, and made her find true love in him; she felt afraid to love again, not wanting to have her heart broken all over again. But she realized that she couldn't run away forever; that the love she needed was from Zeke all along. She felt his warmth, and found that true love had finally found her.

**Suddenly, your broken heart begins to see**

**A love that lasts eternally**

She smiled softly to herself. Her once broken heart and self finally saw what she knows and feels which is a love that would last forever, and that it would only be for Zeke.

**Just look ahead and never ever let a single tear drop from your eye**

**It breaks my heart to see you cry**

**The pain that haunts you every night**

**Because of all the emptiness inside**

It broke his heart seeing her cry like that everyday for the past month, she was like a broken and empty shell; and it broke him even more when he himself was once the reason for her tears. But she had forgiven him, and he could feel that she truly loved him.

**Well, I know sometimes it seems as if **

**Your heart is caving in**

**But if we look inside the soul we'll find **

**The love we have within**

Everytime she thought about Jellal's death, she felt her heart cave in and would break down and cry; but when she saw Zeke in a near-death state, her heart had sunk in even more compared to the time Jellal died, and she knew that she could never live without Zeke. Zeke had revived the feelings of love she buried deep within her heart.

**You've got to leave it all behind you**

**Break through those lonely chains that bind you**

'**Cause love's not far away, it's gonna find your heart someday**

**And when you feel its warmth surround you**

**You'll realize that love has found you**

**So turn away your fears**

'**Cause the love that you've been looking for is here**

She left all the pain behind her, and found love once again. Its warmth surrounded her, and all her fears and all her pain faded away.

**I know sometimes when things go wrong**

**You search for strength to carry on**

**But all we need to take control**

**Is the love within my soul**

He knew she was a strong woman. When Jellal died, she kept on searching for a source of strength to get over him, and that source of strength happened to be Zeke himself; the love he felt for her all those years they've been together.

'**Cause you know that love will find a way**

**To reach your heart again someday**

**You must believe it's true**

**Now all you have to do**

Love had found a way to reach her again someday, and it was through Zeke that she felt this. She knew that what they felt for each other was real, more real than what she ever felt for Jellal.

**You've got to leave it all behind you**

**Break through those lonely chains that bind you**

'**Cause love's not far away, it's gonna find your heart someday**

**And when you feel its warmth surround you**

**You'll realize that love has found you**

**So turn away your fears**

'**Cause the love that you've been looking for is here**

She finally broke through the chains of loneliness she thought would bind her forever. It was true that love wasn't far away from her; it had always been near her. Zeke had loved her for a long time; he had always been there for her, and she knew that he always would, no matter what happened. He made her fears and pain vanish; he made her feel strong again.

As the song concluded, Erza buried her head on Zeke's chest and he wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. "I love you so much, Zeke," she whispered. He whispered back, "I feel the same way about you. I love you so much, Erza. You know that I always will." She smiled, pulled her head back, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. He smiled in between the kiss and wrapped his arms around her waist, then made the kiss deeper. When they pulled apart, they heard the people around them cheering. They laughed, both of them remembering the time the whole guild also cheered for them when they kissed.

"It's getting a little too noisy here, don't you think? Why don't we go someplace quiet?" Erza asked her boyfriend with a suggestive tone. The message got across the lightning mage and he agreed, saying, "Yeah, let's go." She smiled suggestively and pulled his hand, leading him into their room.

As they opened the door, they kissed passionately and Erza used her feet to close the door and Zeke locked it without breaking the kiss. "Did you know that you're a great kisser?" He said suggestively. "You're a great kisser too," she whispered seductively in his ear. He chuckled and carried her bridal style, and Erza continued kissing his lips, then his neck. Zeke groaned from the pleasure he felt from her lips.

They made it to the bed and he lay her down gently, then he took off his coat and his necktie. Erza pulled him as she smiled seductively, and he lay on top of her. His eyes met hers and he kissed her lips; then planted kisses around her neck. Erza moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Oh, Zeke…" She murmured breathily; her voice roughed from the pleasure. As they kissed, she unbuttoned his polo and threw it on the floor. She could see his half-naked body and she traced her fingers around his scars.

"Erza, I love you so, so much," he whispered huskily in between kisses. His husky voice had completely turned her on and they helped each other take off their clothes. They made love that night, both saying how much they loved each other over and over again as they became one.

After making love, Erza gasped from the pleasure and leaned her head against his bare chest, her hand on his stomach, once again tracing his scars. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her head. She looked into his eyes and could see the love he felt for her reflected in them. "I'm really happy that you're my boyfriend, Zeke," she whispered. He smiled at her with the loving expression he had. Then she continued, "Thank you for making me feel love and happiness again, for erasing all my fears and pain; and for continually loving me all this time."

His smile widened at the things he heard from the woman that he loved. "Like I said, I'd do anything for you. I didn't want to see you in pain. Every time you cried for him, it broke my heart. But I always wanted you to feel that I love you, that I will never leave you," he said sincerely. She smiled at his words and kissed his chest. "I love you, Zeke Bolton," she whispered. "I love you, too, Erza Scarlet," he whispered back. She smiled again and they both drifted off to sleep.

Morning came and Erza was the first to wake up. She remembered last night's events and she smiled fondly. She didn't want to stir him, and she wanted to lay against him longer, so she decided to stay that way until he woke up. She ran her hand through his hair and kissed him lightly on his lips. Then she lay her head back down on his chest and felt his heartbeat.

After a few more minutes, Zeke stirred and woke up. He saw Erza's head against his chest and smiled at the sight. The requip mage felt his movements and looked up at him. "Good morning, Zeke," she said as she smiled sweetly. "Good morning to you, too, Erza," he smiled and kissed her. Erza got up and requipped into a white tank top, black shorts, and a pair of slippers. Zeke wore a plain white t-shirt, blue shorts, and slippers. The requip mage headed to the kitchen and began cooking breakfast. She cooked her boyfriend's favorite, bacon and eggs.

Zeke smelled the food being cooked and went to the kitchen. He saw his girlfriend setting up the table and stood behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. The sensation made her skin tingle and she turned to face him. "That smells good," he murmured in her ear. "Which one, the food or me?" She asked teasingly. He smiled and cooed, "Both. But you smell better." She blushed and said seductively, "Just shut up and kiss me." He obliged willingly and kissed her passionately. "Mmm," she moaned after they pulled apart. Then she said, "Now, let's eat."

They sat down and ate their breakfast. After eating, Erza asked Zeke, "What do you want to do today?" He thought for a few seconds, and said, "Why don't we train?" Erza frowned slightly at his suggestion. Seeing this, he added, "It's only for this morning. I promise I won't push myself." She considered it, and said with a sigh, "Alright, fine." He grinned and said, "Thanks!" She smiled and kissed him.

They went to an empty part of the ocean and Erza requipped into her Lightning Empress Armor. Just because Zeke was her boyfriend didn't mean that she would go easy on him. Zeke smiled, knowing that his girlfriend was serious. "Now, start!" Erza commanded.

Zeke teleported behind the requip mage and coated his fist in lightning. Erza grabbed his fist and tried to land a blow, but he teleported again, and cast magic. "Lightning Magic: Lightning Bolt!" A bolt of lightning appeared in his hand and he threw it towards Erza. Her armor just absorbed the attack. She smiled smugly and declared, "You know that won't work!" He answered, "Yeah, I know!" Then he cast another spell. "Lightning Magic: Lightning Surge!" A surge of lightning rushed towards the Titania and he teleported behind her. Erza dodged the attack and summoned her Spear of Lightning.

"Lightning Beam!" She barked and a blue beam of lightning appeared from the tip of her spear. She aimed the beam at Zeke, but easily evaded it with his teleportation magic. She could sense that he would appear behind her again, and she was right. She cast another spell. "Multiple Lightning Beam!" Instead of one beam, this time, there were several beams and it hit Zeke. "Ghhk!" Zeke exclaimed, feeling the shock from her attack. He quickly recovered and returned the attack.

"Lightning Magic: Raging Lightning Blast!" A large amount of concentrated lightning appeared from his hands and hit the requip mage's back, creating a big chink in her armor and left a hole. She gasped in surprise, as her armor had been dented. He took this opportunity and cast one last spell. "Lightning Magic: Raging Fist!" He concentrated a huge amount of lightning on his right fist and punched her armor, resulting in its destruction. A flash of light emerged and Erza was back into her white t-shirt and black shorts.

She smiled at him and said in an approving tone, "That was a big accomplishment, you being able to destroy my Lightning Empress Armor." He smiled at her compliment and kissed her. Then she said sternly, "You didn't push yourself _too _hard, did you?" In a reassuring tone, he said, "I'm fine, really. I wouldn't be the boyfriend of the Titania if I'm so weak that I can't fight for a long time after getting beat up badly, right?" She knew he had a point, and she felt a little bad for getting worried all the time.

"You're right. I'm sorry if I worry too much about you," she whispered apologetically.

"Hey, no worries. I'm sure I'd react the same way if you got beat up badly too," he said with a comforting smile and pulled her in a tight embrace. She tilted her head upwards and kissed him gently. "Are you up for more training?" She asked in a challenging tone. He laughed and said, "Of course. I'm ready all the time." She laughed back and they trained until late afternoon by sparring and running laps with weights on their legs.

After finishing their training, they dropped to the ground, feeling exhausted. "That was a good workout," he commented. "Mm-hmm," she murmured as she sat closer to him and leaned against his shoulder. Her scarlet hair shined against the darkening sky and her face glowed and she looked beautiful, as always. The couple watched the sunset in silence. "The sunset is beautiful," she whispered in awe. He tilted her chin and said lovingly, "But not as beautiful as you, Erza Scarlet." The compliment caused her to blush and smile. "You are such a smooth talker, did you know that?" She said teasingly. He grinned and said, "Trust me, you're the only woman who'll ever hear these words from me." She chuckled. Then he asked, "What time do you want to leave tomorrow?" She answered, "We could leave during the afternoon so we could rest and have enough time to pack our things before we leave." He nodded and said, "Okay, that sounds good enough." She kissed him gently then laid her head on her chest.

Like the time they sat by the big tree in Magnolia, she fell asleep in his arms. But this time, the situation was different. They now loved each other, and Erza was no longer hurting from Jellal's death. Zeke smiled at her sleeping face and carried her bridal style; not minding the stares the people gave the couple as he walked back to the hotel with her in his arms.

They arrived at their room and Zeke gently lay Erza down on their bed and lay down himself. He wrapped his arms around her, remembering the time they made love the previous night. He felt that their relationship grew stronger after that. He then whispered into her ear, "Good night, Erza Scarlet. I love you, now and always." Then he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: And there's the end of Chapter 11! I just found that song randomly on YouTube, and while listening to it, I thought that it fit Erza's situation perfectly. So, I decided to put it in this chapter. Hehe. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you in the next one!**

**Warning: If you don't read the manga, or if you haven't read the latest chapter and do not want to be spoiled, do not go further beyond this point. Don't say I didn't warn you.**

**Waaah! What happened to Gray?! *Sniffles* Somehow, I can't help but blame Juvia for what happened to Gray. Call me mean, but that's what I think. I don't want him to dieeee! I don't want anyone in Fairy Tail to dieeeeee! *Cries***


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Here's Chapter 12! I'm really glad I found the time to work on this, because the past few days have been stressful. -_- Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! And, please do read the Author's Note at the end. On to the chapter!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.**

* * *

It was nearly afternoon when the two mages woke up. "Damn, we must've been more tired from the training than we thought we would be," Zeke muttered to himself as they stood up. "Zeke, you can start packing up and take a shower while I make our lunch," Erza said. He answered, "Sure," then finished packing up and took a shower. As soon as he finished his shower, lunch was finished. "That smells nice, like always," he said with a smile as he entered the kitchen. Erza smiled back and gave him a peck on the cheek. _We look like a married couple. _He thought with a smile. "I'll pack up and shower after we eat," she said. He nodded and they took their seats and began eating.

After they finished, Zeke offered, "I'll clean up here. You go ahead and get ready." She said, "Thank you," with a smile then kissed him. She packed her things and took a shower. Zeke decided to sit on the couch as he waited for her to finish. A few minutes later, the beautiful scarlet-haired mage appeared out of the shower clad only in a towel, and drying her hair. He forced his eyes away, saying nothing. Fortunately, the requip mage didn't sense the lightning mage's discomfort and requipped into her normal sleeveless white blouse and blue skirt.

"Are you ready to go?" She asked.

"Yeah," he said as he nodded. Zeke grabbed their things, and carried even Erza's. She opened her mouth to protest but he put his fingers on her lips to shush her.

"It's fine. I got this," he said with a grin.

She smiled faintly and said, "Fine."

They went to the lobby to check out and found that there was a new lady on the counter. "May I help you?" The lady asked as she smiled sweetly. "We would like to check out now," Erza said. The lady said, "Okay, may I have the key to your room?" Zeke grabbed the key from his pocket and handed it to the lady. "Zeke Bolton and Erza Scarlet. You were given tickets for a free stay here, right?" The lady asked. Erza nodded politely and the lady smiled, "You are now free to go. Thank you for staying with us and we hope to see you again." The couple voiced their thanks and headed towards the train station.

As they boarded the train, Zeke asked his girlfriend, "Did you have a good time?"

She smiled and said, "Yes, I did."

"Great. I had a good time, too. Especially since I got to spend time alone with you," he said with a loving smile. She chuckled and kissed him.

* * *

The next afternoon, they arrived back in Magnolia. They decided to head to Fairy Tail to tell the guild members that they were back. "Hey, guys! We're back!" Zeke declared with a grin. "Welcome back!" The whole guild shouted. Erza sat at the bar while Zeke hung out with the guys. Lucy sat down beside Erza and asked, "So, how was your vacation?" Mira stopped cleaning the glasses and listened to the conversation. Erza told them everything that happened during their vacation and Mira giggled like a schoolgirl while Lucy shrieked in delight. Erza blushed slightly at their reactions. "You two really are meant to be," Mira remarked with a wink. Lucy's eyes twinkled and asked Erza, "Did you ask him what he thinks about your future?" Erza blushed harder at the blonde mage's question, the color of her cheeks rivaling the color of her hair. "E-err, was I supposed to ask that?" She stammered. "Well, I think there's nothing wrong about finding out if he intends to marry you at some point in the future," the barmaid said as she giggled. "O-oh," Erza said, still blushing. Then, the barmaid added, "Why don't you ask him later tonight when he walks you home?" Erza contemplated the matter for a few minutes, then nodded, saying, "O-okay…" Mira giggled again and Lucy smiled dreamily.

The requip mage glanced around the guild and cast her gaze upon the lightning mage. _I wonder if the future he thinks of is the same as mine… _She wondered inside her head. The future that the requip mage thought of was getting married to the lightning mage, and having a happy family. Yes, Fairy Tail was their family, but she wanted to have a family of her own with Zeke as her husband. She decided that she would ask him later on when they were alone.

The two mages hung out around the guild until nightfall. Zeke approached Erza and asked, "You want to go home yet?" Erza nodded, and said, "Yes, but before that, can we go first to the big tree by the park?" A look of confusion spread on Zeke's face as she said this. A faint blush formed on her cheeks and she mumbled, "There's something I want to talk to you about." Zeke smiled and said, "Okay." She held his hand tightly as they walked.

When they arrived at the park, they sat by their usual spot at the tree. Zeke asked softly, "What was it you wanted to talk about?" Erza took a deep breath, feeling a little nervous which was unlike her._ Calm down. It's just a simple question, that's all. _She scolded herself. Then, she calmed down and said, "I was just wondering if you think about the future." Zeke immediately got what she meant; she meant their future together. He tilted her chin so that she was facing him and said with a smile, "Yes, I do. I think about you and me getting married and having a family of our own. I can't ever begin to imagine a life without you by my side, Erza."

She blushed at his answer, and she believed every single word. Then, he asked, "What about you?" She smiled and answered, "I imagine the future the way you imagined it. I can't imagine life without you, Zeke." He smiled lovingly at her and kissed her, with the stars illuminating the dark sky. "I love you, Erza Scarlet," he whispered in a loving tone. She smiled and said, "I love you, too, Zeke Bolton."

* * *

_**Three years later**_

Three years have passed since Zeke and Erza became a couple, and their third anniversary of being together was coming in a week. Zeke had been going on jobs alone for some time, leaving Erza frustrated on why he hadn't bothered asking her to come with him. She grumbled as she sat at the bar, with Cana, Lucy, and Mira. The barmaid heard the requip mage grumble, and decided to ask what was wrong. "Is anything wrong, Erza?" She asked innocently.

Erza grumbled once again before answering. "Zeke is what's wrong. He's been going on jobs alone recently, without even bothering to ask me to go with him. I mean, what the hell's wrong with him? Aren't I his girlfriend?" She complained in an extremely irritated voice. The barmaid stifled a giggle. Then, the requip mage continued her rant, "That, and our third anniversary is drawing closer. Did he forget about it?"

Mira, Cana, and Lucy knew the reason for Zeke's going alone on missions, and it was a secret some of the guild members shared. The reason was that Zeke was earning money to surprise Erza and buy a ring. The plan was that he would ask the requip mage to marry him on the day of their anniversary. He told a few members his plan on how he would surprise the requip mage, and these members kept a tight lip, not wanting to spoil the surprise.

Cana thought of an excuse to tell the requip mage. After a few moments of thinking, she said, "Well, it's healthy to be apart from each other once in a while, don't you think? Missing each other makes your relationship healthier and stronger instead of being with each other all the time, 24/7." Erza grumbled again and said threateningly, "Fine. But he's not getting away from me without explaining the reason for his actions." Lucy sweat dropped and thought, _I better warn Zeke about this the next time I see him. _If _Erza doesn't get to him first, that is. _The thought sent shivers down the blonde mage's spine. Even the boyfriend of the might Titania isn't safe from her wrath.

Mira smiled sweetly, "Go easy on him. He's not the type who just does things without a good reason, right?"

"Fine. I'll forgive him," Erza said with a sigh. Lucy breathed a sigh of relief, silently thanking Mira for subduing the devil within Erza.

* * *

It was the night before their anniversary, and Zeke arrived at the guild. He scanned the place for his girlfriend – or rather, his soon to be fiancé and wife. He saw her, sitting alone at the bar. _Crap, I sure hope she isn't angry as hell for me leaving her alone while I go on jobs by myself. _He thought, feeling a little scared. He sighed and decided to approach her. He tapped her shoulder and she turned sharply. "Oh, there you are," she said as her eyes narrowed. _Yup, that's it. She's mad, that's for sure._ He sweat dropped. His thoughts were broken as she asked, "What do you want?" _This is it. I just hope she doesn't decide to kill me. _He thought.

He cleared his throat and started to speak. "I know you're mad at me for going on jobs alone and not inviting you to go with me, and I know you may think that I've forgotten that it's our anniversary tomorrow, but I assure you, I haven't. I'll explain everything to you tomorrow, I swear," he explained. She raised her eyebrows, suddenly feeling the urge to scold him. But remembering Cana and Mira's words a week ago made her stop. "Alright, fine. You're forgiven," she sighed exasperatedly. "Thanks! I'll see you tomorrow night, okay? I love you," he said and kissed her and rushed out the guild. Then, he realized he forgot to tell her something else. "Wear something formal, I'll pick you up at seven o' clock, sharp," he called out to her as he ran outside. "Seriously, he just arrived, and now he's leaving me alone again?" She muttered. Then she smiled, wondering about what he had planned for their third anniversary tomorrow.

* * *

It was the day of the third anniversary of Zeke Bolton and Erza Scarlet being a couple. It was six thirty and Zeke had finished preparing. He headed to Erza's dormitory, with a bouquet of flowers in his right hand, and the box with the engagement ring inside the right pocket of his suit. Tonight was the night he was going to propose to his girlfriend, and he made reservations for the most expensive restaurant in Magnolia. The reason for him going on missions alone was to earn the money for a reservation in that restaurant, and more importantly, the ring.

He smiled to himself as he walked towards Fairy Hills. The plan was first, to have dinner with Erza in the restaurant. Then, after eating, he would bring her to a "special place" which would be the guild. The lights would be turned off and the mages of Fairy Tail would hide in the shadows. There, he would drop to one knee and ask her to marry him. Afterwards, the lights would turn on and the whole guild would shout their congratulations to the soon-to-be wed couple. He wanted Fairy Tail, his family, to witness the event, and so he thought up this plan.

He arrived at Fairy Hills ten minutes before the agreed time, and like before, he sat on the couch at the lobby as he waited for her. At exactly seven o' clock, Erza Scarlet descended the stairs. She wore a sleeveless dovetailed dark red dress, which covered the back part of her legs but slightly revealed the front part of her legs. Her beautiful scarlet hair was curled partially and she wore a pair of star-shaped silver earrings. She looked breathtakingly beautiful in his eyes. He moved towards her and whispered, "You look_ absolutely_ and _breathtakingly_ _beautiful_." She blushed and looked at him. "You look quite handsome yourself." He chuckled and kissed her deeply. He remembered the bouquet he bought and offered them to her. "For you, Erza. Happy third anniversary," he whispered. "Thank you, Zeke. Happy third anniversary to you, as well," she smiled. He smiled back and extended his arm towards her. "Shall we?" She nodded and took his arm.

They strolled through Magnolia, and in the middle of their stroll, curiosity was already bubbling inside Erza on where Zeke was planning to take her. "Where are we going, Zeke?" She asked curiously. He smiled and simply said, "You'll see. We'll be there in a short while." She nodded and they continued walking.

Finally, Zeke stopped walking and so did Erza. She looked in front of her and gasped as she saw the fancy restaurant named Bliss Cantana. "Zeke, isn't this a little too…" She trailed off. He continued her sentence, "Fancy? Don't worry about it." Suddenly, the pieces clicked into place inside her mind. "You mean…this is the reason you've been going on jobs alone?" She whispered in shock. "Yeah. I really wanted to make tonight special," he said as he smiled. "Let's go in." She nodded, still awestruck at how her boyfriend did all this just to make their third anniversary special.

A lady greeted them as they went inside. "Good evening, ma'am and sir. Do you have a reservation?" Zeke nodded and said, "Yes, I have a reservation for two. My name is Zeke Bolton." The lady smiled and said, "Follow me." The couple followed the lady as she led them into a table for two. The place where they sat was quiet, and they felt it was perfect. The lady introduced herself as Maria and she put down two menus on their table. "Just call for me once you have made your choice," Maria said with a smile and left.

"Zeke, this is just amazing," Erza said in an awestruck tone. Zeke chuckled and said, "Do you like it?" She blushed and said, "I love it." He smiled and kissed her. "Now, let's order." They called Maria and placed their orders. After a few minutes, their food arrived and they enjoyed eating while talking, laughing, and reminiscing about the things that happened in their relationship during the past three years.

After they finished eating, Erza said with a soft smile, "This was a beautiful night, Zeke. Thank you." He smiled back and said, "The evening's not done yet. I'm going to take you to a special place." A curious look loomed on Erza's face, but she decided not to ask, since she knew that he wouldn't give her a straight answer. "Alright." They stood up and he took her hand. They headed towards the direction of the guild, and this made Erza all the more curious. Zeke opened the doors of the guild, and she noticed that the lights were dimmed.

"What are we doing here, Zeke?" She asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"This is the special place I told you a while ago. I called it special because I know that this place is special to the both of us. Fairy Tail is where we gained friends and where we call each other family," he explained. Then, he knelt down on one knee and continued his speech. "Fairy Tail is our family, but I want to have our own family, Erza. These past three years being together as boyfriend and girlfriend have made us happy. And now, I want to take our relationship to the next level." Tears began streaming down the beautiful scarlet-haired mage as he spoke.

"I promise to keep you happy and love you, now, and forever. Erza Scarlet, will you marry me?" He said as he pulled out the black box from his pocket and opened it, revealing a beautiful golden ring with a ruby in the middle.

She placed her hands over her mouth as the tears continued streaming down her face. "Yes… Yes, Zeke Bolton, I will marry you," She declared. He smiled and placed the ring on the ring finger of her right hand. He stood up and she threw her arms around his neck. He held her waist and kissed her deeply. Right on cue, the lights in the guild turned on and the mages shouted, "CONGRATULATIONS!" with much happiness. The women cried tears of joy while the men shouted boisterously. Master Makarov cried as well, while saying something about how his brats are growing up. The couple laughed, and the guild's celebration continued into the night.

* * *

Three months later, the wedding day of Zeke and Erza arrived. Erza sat on a chair in one of the rooms of the church. She wore her wedding gown and the other women mages of Fairy Tail were fixing her up. They heard a knock on the door and Mira opened it to see who it was. "Oh, Zeke. It's you," she said with a smile. "What are you doing here?" Zeke answered, "I wanted to see Erza for a bit." Mira pouted and forcefully said, "No. You can't see the bride before the actual wedding." He sighed and put his hands in the air as a sign of resignation. "Fine. I'll leave now." Then he walked away.

Erza heard the conversation and raised her eyebrows as she turned to Mira. "Was that really necessary, Mira?" Mira giggled, unfazed by the requip mage's attitude and said, "It's a tradition." Erza sighed and said, "Okay." The requip mage felt overjoyed now that she was about to marry the man she loved the most. She smiled to herself as she recounted all the moments they had together. Their relationship wasn't all smooth sailing. After all, whose relationship did? They had their fair share of arguments, but they made sure that they made up before the end of the day. The arguments hadn't put a strain on their relationship; rather, it made them stronger as a couple.

"We're done, Erza!" The requip mage heard Lucy exclaim in a happy voice. The requip mage stood up and went in front of the mirror. She looked at herself and smiled in amazement, thinking of how her friends did a good job of making her look good. "Thank you, you guys," she said as she smiled softly at all the girls with her in the room. The girls giggled and said at the same time, "You're welcome, Erza. Congratulations again!" Erza's smiled grew wider and she heard Mira say, "Now, let's go. The ceremony is about to start." Erza nodded and they began walking towards the main hall of the church.

Master Makarov was standing at the end of the hall by the door. He used his magic to become taller and he smiled at Erza, offering his arm to her. Erza smiled back, took his arm, and began their walk towards the altar. The wedding music started playing, and Zeke turned his head towards the opposite side of the altar. There, he saw the woman he loved in a white wedding gown, with a veil covering her face. He smiled to himself, thinking how beautiful she looked in her wedding gown, and stared at her with loving eyes as she walked.

She stopped as she arrived at the altar, and faced the man she loved. The Master let go of her arm and went to his seat. The couple smiled softly at each other, and he whispered, "You look beautiful in your wedding dress." She blushed and murmured, "Thank you…" He smiled and held her hand, then faced the priest. The priest then began to speak, "The wedding ceremony of Zeke Bolton and Erza Scarlet is now about to start. Please, settle down." At the priest's words, the mages of Fairy Tail took their seats and watched in silence, all of them feeling happy for the couple. The priest began stating the wedding vows, and the couple responded accordingly. For the last vow, the priest asked, "Zeke Bolton, do you take Erza Scarlet for your lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, for all eternity?" Zeke smiled and answered, "I do." The priest smiled and turned to Erza, asking the same question to which the beautiful scarlet-haired mage responded with much happiness, "I do."

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," the priest stated. Zeke faced Erza and lifted her veil. She smiled as he took her face in her hands and kissed her gently. The Fairy Tail mages applauded at the gesture, all of them crying tears of joy for the newly wed couple. After breaking apart from the kiss, Erza wrapped her arms around Zeke and hugged him. Zeke hugged her back tightly and whispered in her ear, "I love you, Erza Bolton." She smiled and blushed at the way he said her new surname. She was no longer Erza Scarlet. From this day forward, she will be known as Erza Bolton. "I love you, too, Zeke Bolton." He stared deeply into her dark brown eyes and kissed her once again. When they broke apart, Zeke grabbed her hand and started running outside the church. Erza held up her gown and laughed as they ran.

The newly wed couple was looking forward to their future together as husband and wife, and eventually, as a mother and a father to their own children. They promised to love each other eternally, and they would make sure that they would make each other feel loved every single day of their lives.

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**A/N: As you can guess, this would be the last chapter for this story (Awww). But don't worry, this isn't my last story. I'm currently working on another ErzaxOC fanfic, but it'll be a different setting. If you know, you guys are still up for another ErzaxOC. Plus, I've got a few ideas for NaZa fanfics, but the ideas are mostly one-shot, though. I'll try working on them ASAP, too. And last of all, thanks to all of you guys who liked/loved and supported this story. It means a lot to me. And thanks so, so much for the reviews, especially to you, ScarletWolfx. I really look forward to your reviews every time I post a new chapter. Epic Gamer, since I can't PM you, I'll answer your question here. The name of the song from the last chapter is "The Love That You've Been Looking For" by 98 Degrees. Just in case you missed that on my A/N. Hehe. Once, again, thanks so much guys! And I hope you'll look forward to my future stories! Until next time! :D**


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